Best Freeby and Best Demo of the Week

Best Freeby:

Birthday Suits – Wonderland America

The Birthday Suites were doing an East Coast Tour last week (thank god some bands still believe in the east coast) and made a stop in DC.  For all that do not know who the Birthday Suits are, they are Hideo and Mathew from Sweet JAP fame and they are the most awesome two people on this earth.  Not only are they the nicest guys I have ever met, but when they are playing live you have never heard or seen two people play so LOUD and put on such a sensory overloaded show.  In short they kick everyone’s ass.  I mean that.  I went to the show and hung out with the both of them and Hideo gave me a copy of their new single out on Asian Man Records!

Me and the Boys

There are only three two piece bands that I have ever liked in history, Bantam Rooster was the very first and it was Tom Potter that introduced me to the idea that two people could carry the stage and a full set of songs.  It was the Birthday Suits who introduced me to the idea that two guys could create a wall of noise, nay a barrage of rock, no a Tsunami of Sound!  They are amazing because they sound like a full band and in their new single, they do not disappoint.  Great guitar hooks with Hideo’s voice lacing the song throughout with chorus after chorus.  Mathew’s drumming just never ceases, Dave Grohl would stop and gaze in wonder at the abilities of Mathew and how he beats the hell out of his kit and just plain creates a beat that you can literally feel changing your heart rhythm.  These three songs do not disappoint and I whole heartedly recommend pick this up ASAP.

Best Demo of the Week:

Beasteater

Well speaking of Tom Potter…

Aaron Aducci (ex-Blowtops) called me a couple months ago and told me that the Fatal Figures wanted to do something different.  His idea was to bring Tom Potter in from Detroit for a weekend write a bunch of songs and then go record with the infamous Jim Diamond.  I laughed a little, but they did it.  Tom came, they wrote and they went to Diamonds.  Before the trip to Detroit, Scott the drummer for the Fatal Figures ended up with a bit of a health issue, so he could not make it to record.  Thank god the drummer from the infamous garage rock band The Dirtys was available to record with them.  They pumped out 9 great tunes where Tom sings on 4 songs, Aaron on 3 and Tracy on 2.

You can definitely tell the difference, Tom’s songs are slightly more to the straight ahead punk rock side and brings to mind a cross between the full rock sound of the Chrome Spiders with the speed and anger of Bantam Rooster – so good.  I have always loved Aaron as a lead singer and he does not disappoint, singing three song ala the same vein as the Fatal Figures, loud, noisy, Pussy Galoresque Garage Rock.  The surprise is when Tracy gets up to the mic.  If you know Tracy, she is one of the sweetest nicest girls I have ever met and she commands the mic in these songs.  Singing a couple really poppy, hook driven punk rockers, my favorite being ‘Ovary Action’.

Great friggin demo and hopefully we will have this sucker out by the end of the year.