Banjo Spiders

• Artist: Banjo Spiders
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1999
• Total Time: 34:45
• Genre: Rock

Review

One thing about Massachusetts bands, they have to rock. Maybe it's the constant influx of college kids ensuring a young audience; maybe it goes back to the days when its hardcore bands embraced Aerosmith and J. Geils and went metal against all expectation; maybe because it's such a cold state in the winter. Who knows? But indie groups there aren't shy about classic rock influences, even while pumping out basement-blast stuff for the clubs. The Banjo Spiders are another group who know their history -- the opening "Gilligan's Daughter" starts by stealing the same Buzzcocks "Ever Fallen in Love?" riff Bad Religion pilfered for "The Handshake," and the end of "Thinkin' Aloud" replicates the Kinks' "Tired of Waiting for You"'s two-chord dirge (there is also a lyrical reference to "The Moneygoround," a Kinks song and LP title phrase). They also can't resist paying homage to the "deet de deet deet deet de" vocal in Simon & Garfunkel's time-tested "Mrs. Robinson" during "Nice Guy Club." But just as telling is former Neighborhoods' leader David Mineham at the engineering knobs, his old band being the first Beantown band to make the subtle transition from punky pop trio to more straight hard rock with indie attitude/edge. In the end, this threesome's hearts are in making a heavy, non-metallic, fast racket on songs such as "You & My Pride" and "Anyway...Onward" -- it's power-trio garage rock with speedy tempos and full-throttle playing. Singer Eric Barlow has a classic, smooth voice just made for sweaty rock, and a few misplaced roots/country-rockers aside, these guys have the goods if you're not a purist. ~ Jack Rabid, Rovi

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