I had a blast at the High Dive about a month ago for the Guerrilla Candy (Re)Launch Party! It’s a bummer about the cease-and-desist letter that blogger Travis Hay received, but “Ear Candy’s” relaunch as Guerrilla Candy provided a great excuse to showcase some great Seattle rock bands. Hosted by Brent Amaker, it was a night to remember. Here are my much-overdue first impressions on all four bands that played:
MY GOODNESS - photo by @254mochacharlie
MY GOODNESS
When you see a duo with drums and a rich, fat distorted guitar killing some bluesy licks it’s impossible to not think of The Black Keys. But these guys weren’t a rip off of the Akron band at all – just satisfying in a similar way. My Goodness is faster and more urgent – more about the jump and less about the groove. I could not see singer Joel Schneider’s face, I could not understand a word, but it rocked hard with all the right riffs and fills in all the right places.
HOBOSEXUAL - photo by Zach Luellen
HOBOSEXUAL
A drum kit and a Marshall half full stack.
That about sums it up.
Parts of the Hobosexual set reminded me of “Highway to Hell” but with absolutely no glam, show, or irony at all. It’s not really my jam, but my head was bobbing the entire time.
HOT BODIES IN MOTION - photo by @254mochacharlie
HOT BODIES IN MOTION
These guys hone a classic yet modern sound with that twangy Stratocastor supported by intricate doubled bass/guitar lines. Every tune was complex, with several instrumental counter-melodies artfully showcasing Ben Carson’s vocal, but they never lost the groove (as displayed by the couple of… er… hot bodies in motion grinding uninhibited next to me). The element that was most striking, however, was the choice use of space and quiet dynamics that made everything else pop even more. One of those classic, “I didn’t realize that was the perfect song for you to cover until it started” moments with “No Diggety” was also a highlight. Oh… and they MAY have made the glorious mistake of handing me a tambourine for the last song…
HOUNDS OF THE WILD HUNT - photo by Jason Tang
HOUNDS OF THE WILD HUNT
I had heard a lot about this band but had not heard them yet. I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed, but I have to figure it’s due to lack of context. There was not enough lead vocal coming through to be able to grab on to melody or make a connection, causing many of the songs to blend together. In some moments near the end of the set, however, there was more space for the vocal and I could get into it, as well as some engaging rhythmic variations that reminded me of The Fratellis. From what I’ve read, this is a band in transition, and there were enough glimmers in the set for a newbie like me to stay optimistic about the outcome.
