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Vue remembers what the words "alternative rock" used to mean. Vue began as a sort of - out there - art rock band, called The Audience. Unfortunately, some crappy Britpop band was using the same name, and had started to raise a ruckus, but that's an old story now. Here's the news : Vue has just released their self-titled debut album on Subpop, and it's a breath of dirty air. Rex Shelverton swaggers and wails in the tradition of Iggy Pop and Johnny Rotten. The roar of trashy, distorted guitars (Jonah Buffa) commands your attention, and provides the perfect backdrop for Rex Shelverton's howling, but intimate vocals. While most rock music has practically become obsolete, and safer than aspirin, Vue unleashes rock songs that are guaranteed to piss off your parents, without the side effect of annoying the hell out of YOU.
Half of the album is the glammed out adrenaline ride you need to get juiced, and the other half is more moody, recalling their artsy roots, with touches of The Cure, and some trippy keyboard shit, courtesy of the quiet, slender Jessica Graves. The bass lines (Jeremy Bringetto) and drums (Jason Riddle) pump out nice, tight rhythms, and sit back in the mix a bit, just enough to let the bravado guitars do their damage.
The experience Vue brings to the stage is the trashiest, most energetic, break stuff, kick the air, and fall on the floor side of their collective personality. In fact, Rex does most of the kicking and falling on the floor. He seems to act out what you might imagine would happen to a heroin supermodel if some evil invisible fashion photographer started picking her up, throwing her around, and generally letting her have it. The searing, painful honesty of his lyrics will draw you in, though, and after he's hit the ground a couple times, you start to forget that you're watching a rock n roll show, and begin to realize that he's summoning up his personal pain, and spreading it out on the floor in a way that is extremely cathartic for the audience (er, I mean, Vue).
What can't this band do? Well, they can't squirt out a theme song for "Titanic 2 - iceberg boogaloo," and they can't settle for the fucked up status quo that seems to be the lack of rage these days. What they could do, is sneak into your heart, with their arrogantly torn pants pockets and their glammy haircuts... Oh yes, and their monster riffs and scream-along vocal lines, too.
Vue's first effort is one of the best rock records to come out so far this year. So download an mp3 from our Resonance page, and then follow Vue's CDnow link and buy this album! And if you find out that they're playing live anywhere near you, drop your pink ceramic piggy bank on the kitchen floor and put some of that $2/gal gas in your car, and go! |
