speed of dark

Another song to stand out on my MP3 playlist is "Bright Lights" by Chow Chow from their debut four-song EP released in December. Although the record company, iTunes, and eMusic call the EP "Chow Chow," the group steadfastly refer to it as "Chow Chow Chow Chow Chow Chow Chow Chow Chow E.P."

Although based in London, Chow Chow is made up of two Canadians and one New Zealander. These are: Nathan (drums/vox/spacedrum), Iain (guitars/vocals/303) and Stu (bass/korg/vocoder). That's Stu in the middle, above.

I did not know what a Korg was, but a quick Internet search reveals that "Korg delivers the ultimate sonic arsenal with a full line of keyboards..." That explains a lot when you listen to Chow Chow. But what is a 303? The only thing I could come up with was some kind of gun.

A review of a Chow Chow performance last September from their MySpace blog is knee-deep in adjective-heavy phrases like "anthemic indie perfection," "whooshing squirts," and "splurging synth slews." Sorry, ol' Gramma doesn't write such tongue-twisty prose. But also in that review lurks a list of influences that reflects the darker past of my taste, which is probably what draws me toward Chow Chow's songs: Tom Verlaine, Television, the Pixies, Bauhaus, Joy Division. I would add Iggy Pop to that list, thinking especially of the furious energy of his live shows.

Imagine any of these performers with synthesizers, and you've got a pretty accurate idea of what goes on with Chow Chow. Interestingly, each of the four songs presents its own distinct version of those influences. Stream the other three songs at their MySpace page, and you'll see what I mean.


Chow Chow: Bright Lights from Chow Chow EP (2006)


The group are recently featured in the Brit magazine, Dazed and Confused. A new 7-inch vinyl is due out in March.

Londoners, please note these upcoming Chow Chow appearances:
Feb 2 2007 8:00P Montague Arms, New Cross London
Feb 15 2007 10:00P Hope & Anchor, Islington London
Feb 22 2007 8:00P The Macbeth, Old Street London

Buy at iTunes or eMusic
or at their label: Fantastic Plastic Records