Sep 9, 2011

Beast Make Bomb was introduced to me earlier in the summer, but in order to see them I had to take my middle aged ass (Brooklyn standards) out into the real Bushwick. Not the gentrified East Williamsburg coffee shop mecca, I had to go to a sweat shop of a room beneath the elevated train, between the liquor and .99 cent stores. Upon arrival no one knew the set times, which was probably a result of being over an hour behind schedule and half the bands still yet to load-in. Typically, I would have huffed and left, but instead I gave them the benefit of the doubt and once they took the stage it instantly became obvious it was worth the wait.

Beast Make Bomb has the typical aesthetic of a mixed-sex Brooklyn post-punk melodic-pop band. However, unlike their counterparts BMB stay far away from the token girl on bass or synth. It’s the guitar responsibilities that have been handed to / taken over by the ladies (Ceci Gomez and Glenn VanDyke). While Glenn takes the helm with the more complex lead roles, Ceci shows her chops often and skillfully. There’s also a sultry and confident vibe to Ceci’s stage presence that is so captivating, that I dare to say reminds me of Patti Smith. BMB recently released a video for their current single “Party Monster” which is just the tip of their potential iceberg.

While Beast Make Bomb’s current recordings reflect a more simplistic party style that is yet to push any musical boundaries, recently at Cameo Gallery they did debut a yet to be named/recorded track that I hope represents their sound moving forward. It’s a more sinister and complex soundscape, with off-tempo percussion and far more intricate guitar parts that allows their talent to truly shine. Beast Make Bomb are without-a-doubt on to something big… which is needed as they single-handedly lay to rest the stereotype that girls are limited to keys, bass or power chords.

You can see Beast Make Bomb on Thursday October 20th at Bowery Electric when they play our CMJ showcase.