Justyn Bartels (guitar and vocals),
Dan Taylor (drums and vocals),
Jeff Fisher (bass)
影響
Truly, Supergrass, The Beatles, The Police, Small Faces, The Smiths, Strokes, Eliot Smith, Spoon, Beta Band, Oasis, The Band, The Kinks, Zepplin, Nirvana, Pixies, Otis Redding, Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age and on so fourth. Throw in a handful of indie bands too.
風格近似
REVIEW from CD BABY. EDITOR'S PICK:THE PROLES: good in black & white
Folks, the first track on this record is one of the best damn pop songs ever written. As the particularly hooky melody is echoed in trailing little guitar lines, there's a gradual build to the end of the song, which serves like an anthemic refrain that's just as catchy as the verse. That's not to say that the rest of the record is worth tossing away. Quite the contrary. "Good in Black & White" is simply brimming with solid bass and drums as well as guitars that are perfectly distorted, but play poppy progressions and leads. And of course, there are the phenomenally stacked and seemingly effortless harmonies that catapult each song into irresistibility. There's a certain measure of the California ethos that pervades the entire album, as if while the rest of us have been emerging from a winter-long depression (mired in whatever form of cold precipitation is endemic to your area) these guys have been kicking back in the sun wondering why it was taking everybody so long to arrive. Kudos to them and their enviable weather, which is to say kudos to the mindset that made this album. What we have here is a record that's brilliantly written and incredibly accessible. Seriously... almost everybody will like this.
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Sacramento's the Proles emerge with a strong set in debut Good in Black and White. It’s 11 songs are tinged with pop and soul, but at their heart is rock and roll, a heavily distorted guitar or thick, upbeat rhythm is never far away. While the opening title track pays a debt to the Beatles, it’s follow-up, "100 Drinks," approximates what you'd expect from a Hot Hot Heat recording session in Georgia. Two songs later, a funky bassline opens "Casino Lights" and propels the Proles to their best groove of the album.
The Proles' mature songwriting abilities are captured well by balanced production courtesy of Jason Sewell and the band. The result emphasizes Jeff Fisher's bass lines as sharply as Dan Taylor's crash and ride hits. Guitarists Justyn Bartels and James Jenkins play off each other excellently and manage to be omnipresent yet not overbearing, the mix caters equally to each instrument. This hi-fi tuning allows Good in Black and White to sound great in headphones, where the intricacies of the Proles' deceptively straight-ahead songs can be appreciated.
Sometimes you can snooze on Chico nightlife, wake up and there's a whole new forest of fresh-scrubbed faces in place. Last Friday, I joined members of the new school with decidedly alt. tastes, judging by the tats and retro wear, who've made the Riff Raff their own. And why not? The night's bill featured four rock bands and no cover.
With respect to the other bands I heard (Caveat and The Dylan Seed Band seemed tight and rockin'), I was here mainly to catch up-n-comers The Proles, Sacramento's version of the Strokes--and due to space constraints must focus on them.
Drawing equally from Television and the Beatles, The Proles peddle an economical garage rock sound anchored by bouncy bass hooks, blue-collar snare work from Buddy Holly look-alike Dan Taylor, melodic keyboard coloring and raspy lead vocals (punchy delivery of playful pop choruses) from singer/guitarist Justyn Bartels, a confident front man.
"It seemed like something to do," Bartels said about playing free in Chico. "Try to get the word out, sell some CDs [Index Print on Americans are Coming Recordings] before going on tour."
Don't be surprised if The Proles' radio-friendly, runway rock turns out to be the next big thing out of Sacramento. The group has strong hometown support, label/managerial kinship with The Low Flying Owls, and future dates with Texas indie kings Spoon. You can catch them regularly in Sacto at clubs such as The Blue Lamp and Old Ironsides--and they say they'll be back for more Chico action, too.
proles n. A proletarian. "If there is hope... it lies in the proles" (George Orwell). You've said a mouth-full George.
The Proles are:
Justyn Bartels (guitar and vocals), Dan Taylor (drums and vocals), and Jeff Fisher (bass).
We're a couple two three guys. We like lists, trains-tracks, beers, whips, sunglasses, robots, memberships, cigarettes and old channel changers. We don't really like mail, sugar, ear rings, brown, flip-flops or kids.
We live in a big house with gardens, thieves, pomegranate seeds, a chihuahua, trains, and industrial cranes. The neighborhood's crippled with failure, so there's no tax on music or noise. Except of course for the thieves, those dirty, dirty thieves of south Sacramento's seedy underbelly.
We've been together now since '99 give or take. James quit, Goings quit, Mike quit, and then there were three.
We've played with the likes of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Grandaddy, The French Kicks, The Killers, Elefant, the Datsuns, and such, and will be coming to a theater near you. Love Justyn, Danny, and Jeff.
Now here's what Eddie has to say about us....
'Good In Black & White,' the band's 2nd full-length album, was released in mid-2005 and features "You Get Around," "100 Drinks," "Letters," "New For You," "The Real Light Show," "Casino Lights," "Stretch It Out," among many others.
Their debut on The Americans Are Coming Recordings (Index) was serviced to CMJ's Top 300 stations and received considerable airplay (even charting on KEXP's coveted Top 60 list!).
-yeah so suck on that buddy!!! Sincerely, the Proles.
Contact: Oceania Talent - blackfish70@aol.com.
Hey fellas= that review you got about there about chico was the night I first heard you guys- I was playing in one of those other bands- the Dylan Seed band. That was a great show- caught my attention. Looking forward to seein you guys again soon.
