The Blood Brothers @ Amoeba Records, 10-11-06

When shit went wrong, there were the Blood Brothers. Work was hectic and I blared “USA Nails.” Disillusionment with women brought on “Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck.” Against the cacophony and the rabid guitar, my own issues seemed almost sunny in comparison. It was like primal scream therapy, but all I had to do was listen. And when they unleashed post-hardcore masterwork Burn Piano Island, Burn in 2002, I was listening a lot. Four years and two albums later, the Blood Brothers are back with another auditory assault. Their slash-and-burn sound on Young Machetes is largely intact, but there’s more melody and even some bona fide singing (!?) sneaking through. I was excited about getting the new release and finally catching them live. Could the band possibly produce as much fire live as they do on record? The Blood Brothers’ only local appearance was a free set at Amoeba, so I made my way down to the Haight. The aisles were clogged with tattooed twentysomethings. They were mostly rocking the scruffy, unwashed look you find at art schools or on Missing posters. Slipping into the independent vinyl section, I had to battle back the urge to scoop up everything in sight. Two women twice everybody’s age wandered in after me. Obviously unaware of the upcoming show, they avoided eye contact while uncomfortably combing through the early years of Elton John and Billy Joel. The band took the stage at six and spat out seven or eight songs. It was only a half-hour performance, but they did indeed showcase the volume and fury I was hoping for. Surprisingly, the highlight for me was a new song, “Set Fire To The Face On Fire.” It consisted of the two vocalists, Johnny Whitney and Jordan Blilie, repeatedly and vehemently ignoring the old adage of what not to yell in a crowded record store. Whitney was especially entertaining, sporting a bleached Koosh ball haircut, a bandana neckerchief and a candy cane V-neck. He patrolled the length of the small stage with a cocksure, pansexual Mick Jagger strut. The lanky Blilie mostly hunched over and wailed into his microphone, keeping it against his mouth as if he were planning to bite into it. It was definitely a promising preview, and I may well have to check out the band again when they co-headline the Fillmore in December. I'm generally too content nowadays to need the music as much as I used to a few years ago. But even when shit is good, the Blood Brothers only make things better. *MP3: "Set Fire To The Face On Fire" - Blood Brothers from Young Machetes *MP3: "Laser Life" - Blood Brothers from Young Machetes *MP3: "Vital Beach" - Blood Brothers from Young Machetes [Buy it] *Band Website: Blood Brothers Tags: Blood Brothers, Amoeba Records, Concert, San Francisco, Young Machetes