TUESDAY 8/11/09: MARK TWAIN INDIANS, THE VALLEY ARENA, OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN
“[SMART ROCK] Don’t let the riffage scare you. The Valley Arena’s new disc, We Died, finds the SoCal crew engaging in hard rock as smart as it is heavy: Tricky post-hardcore guitar licks are there to buoy cleverly jingoistic turns of phrase. Fans of bass-heavy ‘90s indie rock like Jawbox and Seaweed ought to dig the group’s smartly aggressive aesthetic, which grows in spurts with each release. And you thought nobody was making worthwhile rock ’n’ roll anymore. Psshh.” - CASEY JARMAN, The Willamette Week
