Bland Moon Music
At a time when it seems like European bands are at the top of their game, the calibre consistently good and increasing with every new face on the block; how can America be producing such a plethora of rubbish?
OK, so there might be quite a few bands from a couple of years ago who are OK...Kings of Leon/White Stripes...but really can you think of anything decent that's happened since? Nah, me neither! The only thing to get excited about is the combination of rock-gods of aeons ago, Slash/Duff and Scott Weiland in Velvet Revolver and the fact that Motley Crue are reuniting for gigs this summer! Believe me, from the last lot of 'new bands' I've heard from the US, it doesn't sound like anything decent will be happening for a while.
Bad Moon Music is one of those bands that is comprised of people that have almost hit the big time on a couple of occasions. But you know that old adage of "If at first you don't succeed...."? Well if I was Bad Moon Music, I wouldn't even bother trying. Not really sure of what music they wanna play, the tunes sidle from Reggae, to Country, to Ska, to guitar-licks that would almost sound anthemic if it wasn't for the fact that it's forty years on and Led Zeppelin has already happened. Bad Moon Music makes Spinal Tap look like a serious band.
I guess they've actually done something quite special. I mean this is the first CD I've listened to for a long time where every single song would make me change channel in the unlikely event that someone actually plays it on the radio. Surely they have some redeeming qualities I hear you ask. Well, Adam Rubenstein sings like the lost member of Nickelback; the type of voice that brings me out in hives which might be entertaining for some people. Oh, and "Like Anyone" has enough of that hillbilly twang that I could imagine George "Dubya" Bush rocking out on a chair whilst choking on a pretzel.... Now that IS good value, or maybe that's just my warped sense of humour.
I guess my problem with these guys and a lot of the other new US bands, is a distinct lack of identity. Their European counterparts have cornered the market of originality with kooky tunes and even kookier outfits. Meanwhile the US keeps churning out these rock 'blands'.... Groups completely devoid of character. Perhaps this is exactly what the American public likes; everything to sound and look the same, to belong to the same American Dream. Well that's OK, but this is an American band being reviewed in weird and wonderful Europe by that most sarcastic and critical of all Europeans...a Brit.! At least Bad Moon Music lives up their name. "Empire" as an album is a crime against the ears. Maybe it is retribution for the current distrust of the US, and so the "Empire" strikes back.