speed of dark

My brother, Indie Mom's Uncle T, should be writing his own music blog. He likes a broader range of music than I do, and he can write about it like a professional music reviewer. Over the years he has turned me on to several artists I would not have discovered on my own.

Last Christmas he gave me Stairs and Elevators by the Heartless Bastards. Although this set of songs did not particularly grab me, I could tell he was onto some genuine talent. This band has a way of invoking rock and roll the way it used to be--simple yet powerful, and bursting with energy. There is no hiding Erika Wennerstrom's voice in sludgy layers of instruments and harmonies. It's a powerhouse. Another powerful-voiced rock singer she reminds me of is Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde (Listen to "End of the Line" on my post More Goodbye Songs for comparison).

But Erika isn't just a pretty little singer. This is HER band. Watch her here in this little clip from South by Southwest 2005. This girl really rocks. The song is "Gray."

Dang, I'd like to see that live!

Many artists put so many of their long-held dreams and so much effort into their debut album and then into promoting that first album that they don't have much left over for their second--the infamous "sophomore slump." Not so with Heartless Bastards. Erika's songwriting has definitely improved on their second album All This Time.

Here are my favorites:

Heartless Bastards: Brazen

Heartless Bastards: Searching for the Ghost

Heartless Bastards' website

The band is on tour now, so check MySpace for their current tour schedule.