Release Date: 11-April-2013
Genre: Rock / Psychedelic / Electronic / New Rave
Location: Joshua Tree, CA
Publisher: [p][c] 2013 Royal Order
Label/Distribution: Royal Order
Total Time: 26m 07s
Review Date: 14-September-2013
Review Format: CD
Bit Rate: N/A
For Fans Of: Scissor Sisters, CSS, Sonic Youth, Curve
Songs In Jivewired Radio Rotation:Final Clap Fever, March Of Fools
Best Songs: Holy Ghost, Final Clap Fever, March of Fools
Best of the Rest:Loudmouth, Big Deal
Previous Jivewired Review: Welcome To The Country
Jivewired Digital One Sheet:http://www.jivewired.com/gramrabbit
Purchase:iTunes | Amazon | Bandcamp
Stream:Bandcamp
Track Listing:
- Final Clap Fever 4:28
- Holy Ghost 3:41
- Fantastic Visions 0:40
- Big Deal 4:32
- Song #2 2:34
- March Of Fools 4:24
- Loudmouth 5:53
Stream Gram Rabbit Videos on The Jivewired Channel on Redux TV:
- Final Clap Fever -- http://redux.com/tv?pid=3501340&lid=6116959&chid=channel-10541
- Desperate Heart -- http://redux.com/tv?pid=3426604&lid=6106915&chid=channel-10541
Review:
Unimpeachably cool. I challenged myself to define Gram Rabbit in two words or less and that is what I came up with. Though I am not fond of patting myself on the back I think a little credit is due here. Of course in analyzing the musical output of this otherworldly glam and rock band out of Joshua Tree, CA I will need more than two words, but, as an overall descriptive, unimpeachably cool fits perfectly. And it's an effortless cool. Gram Rabbit is currently straddling the line of indie music iconography, and the release of Braised & Confused, an album with no quit that is end-to-end thrilling solidifies their status as such. A combination of riotous new rave psychedelia and shameless glam, Gram Rabbit adds avant-garde to pop music sensibilities and collides high art with rhythmic and atomic syncope to deliver their vision and message as well as a near-perfect LP.
And yes, perfect is a strong superlative that carries an immense burden but as exhibit A I offer Final Clap Fever -- a call to arms for the alternative tribes and followers of the Royal Order -- which may be arguably the best opening track of all time. The chorus sets the tone for the entire record:
So cry me a river / I won't drown / And find me a sinner / I've been found
The track constantly flirts with the raw rapidity of power pop without pushing the envelope directly into that genre. It is difficult to find comparisons to Gram Rabbit because their sound is so unique. There is a rabid pandemonium to their output that incorporates an uncommon array of near-genres and sub-genres that makes comparisons so difficult. Are they Sonic Youth, Curve or Scissor Sisters or somewhere in between and if so, where is that and what is that? Obviously there lies the secret to this band's success and indie appeal. There is simply nothing to compare Gram Rabbit to, which makes them unimpeachably cool.
Holy Ghost begs for a club remix -- deejays take note -- but it is the underlying guitar track that makes this song so infectious, hypnotic and incredibly sexy. Frontwoman Jesika von Rabbit skews diva-ishly close to pure disco on this track but an almost mystical arrangement serves as a sonic guardrail. Containment is the last thing Holy Ghost portrays however. I love the sultry, come-hither seduction playing against the religious symbolism of the title. The entire song is an exercise in temptation and failed resistance, right down to the perfectly timed inflection of heavy breathing and sultry sighs contradicted by addictive synths and a beastly guitar solo on the bridge. I feel dirty for loving this song, but I suppose that's the point. Go ahead, bite that apple, big guy.
Big Deal is freakishly addictive pop music, and though it is rare for me to dig on music that leans toward not-so-subtle Gaga similarities, Jesika owns it outright. In fact, Big Deal seems more like a Jesika von Rabbit solo effort than a Gram Rabbit collaboration. It's got a heavy hook, and relies mostly on synth riffs and keyboards. It's tight and polished and provides a glimpse into the incredible ease with which Gram Rabbit could conquer mainstream pop should they ever decide to wage that war.
My favorite track on Braised & Confused is March Of Fools. March Of Fools is without a doubt one of the most eclectic and interesting songs in the entire Gram Rabbit canon. It is a rebellious, dissonant and loud hardcore rocker but with a stunningly melodic popster appeal. March Of Fools exemplifies Gram Rabbit as experimental and avant-garde musicians, nihilists, obscene philosophers and babysitters for the echo boomers that blindly choose conformity over individuality. It continually builds in tempo, ablaze with fiery, psychedelic and distorted lo-fi guitars that mercilessly burn. The song can best be described as soul-piercing and face-melting aurally orgasmic grandeur.
Loudmouth is equally good with a mesmerizing, driving bass line and is a wonderful continuation of March Of Fools both lyrically and melodically. The rapping vocals seem slightly out of place but work well in this particular arrangement.
In fact, I love the way the entire album represents a journey that borders on reaching a final destination but never really finds one, the enjoyment obviously coming from continuing the journey rather than closing the travelogue in some non-existent final resting place. The melodies on Braised & Confused enhance the energetic presence of Gram Rabbit, but there are still darkly beautiful and carnal undertones to the lyrics that celebrate said carnality, and there is an undeniable sense of captivating personality to this LP.
About Gram Rabbit:
Gram Rabbit formed in 2004 and hail from Joshua Tree, California.
Gram Rabbit founders Jesika von Rabbit and Todd Rutherford burst on to the Los Angeles music scene with their first album Music to Start a Cult To. Produced by Ethan Allen, who officially joined the band following the release of that record, the band’s current line-up includes new drummer Jason Gilbert. Armed with two new releases for 2012 and with tour plans in the works, Gram Rabbit’s stock will surely rise. A destiny once measured in ambition is now one measured in accomplishment.
They have been getting rave reviews, drawing in legions of fans including celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and John Cusack (who lauded the band on his iTunes Celebrity Playlist) as well as playing major festivals since their debut release Music To Start A Cult To that same year.
The Los Angeles Times, Daily Variety, Time Out London, Dazed and Confused, The Independent (London) and many others quickly took to the band’s driving beats and spacey sound. The LA Weekly named them Best New Band in 2005.
Additional albums include: Cultivation (2006), RadioAngel and the RobotBeat (2007), Rare Bits EP (2008), Miracles and Metaphors (2010) and Welcome to the Country (2012). To date Gram Rabbit’s records have produced more than 30 (from 20 different tracks) licenses in television series, national commercial campaigns, and film. NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CW, FX, BRAVO, STARZ, and MTV have all used the bands music in hit shows such as CSI, Life, the Real World, Sons of Anarchy, Crash, and Ten Things I Hate About You, just to name a few.
International brands Kyocera and Fruit of the Loom have used their music to promote their products in national television campaigns. Motion pictures such as Crazy, Stupid, Love starring Steve Carell and Emma Stone, War Inc. with John Cusack and Interview with Steve Buscemi, have included the cinematic sounds of Gram Rabbit in their films.