Tuesday, December 4, 2007



::RX BANDITS::

The time has finally come to talk about quite possibly my favorite ska/progressive/rock/reggae/jazz/whatever you want to call it band...the RX Bandits. Starting off as a full fledged ska band in 1997 in Seal Beach, California, one might think the metamorphosis the band has taken was unexpected...but it wasn't. The band was always too independent to be signed to a major label, to be cast into the genre that everyone wanted to hear. Some of the early hints were found in songs such as "What If", "Gun In Your Hand", and "Lost", found on their sophomore release, Halfway Between Here and There. These songs marked a new feel for the RX Bandits, straying from the straight upstroke feel of most ska songs and embarking on a different plane, touching on more political subjects than the typical "guy loses the girl" lyric.

On their third release, Progress, the band furthered their evolution and strayed even further from the ska mold they had been cast into. The lyrics had become more and more focused on political issues ("How can we change the paradigm of social caste/When the victims are the same ones who slave for the corporations?/This episode's resolving and we can change it/A revolution's calling and I'd like to think that I'm not alone/Are we all alone in this?", "VCG III") and racial issues ("You're all one race, the human race/Just a different smile for a different face", "In All Rwanda's Glory"), and the sound constantly changing, using more non-conventional chords and beginning to use mixed time signatures. The band was definitely on a new level, and their success began to mount as they continued to make the music they wanted to make.

Their 2003 release, The Resignation, was the first album blatantly focused on politics (and the lack of approval for such) for the band. This album, even from the beginning stages, was different: the band only allowed themselves a certain number of takes for each song, and after each take, it was left as was, with no add ins. This truly shows the musicianship of each member of the band, especially with the experimentation with unconventional time signatures becoming more and more apparent. The release, which was received fairly well by the public, peaking at #148 on the Billboard 200, is highlighted by (but not limited to) tracks such as "Overcome (The Recapitulation)", "Taking Chase as the Serpent Slithers", and "Decrescendo". (The album, from front to back, is just about one of the most solid releases of recent times, and though I could go on for hours about why each track is equally amazing, I'll save you the time and let you listen for yourself.) With the success of The Resignation, the band found more time for side projects (The Sound of Animals Fighting, Apotheke, Technology).


The band's most recent release, ...And the Battle Begun (a direct reference to Lord Byron's poetry), was originally planned to be released in 2005 with record label Drive-Thru Records, but reasons which were left unknown, the band parted ways with the label (despite the fact that there was still one album left in their contract), which caused a delay in the release of the album. After sorting things out with Drive-Thru, the album was released on MDB Records (label of lead singer Matthew Embree) online on June 24th, 2006. The release featured even more complex time signatures and still maintained the lyrical content of their previous release. The song "A Mouth Full of Hollow Threats" features an interpretation of the famous Jimi Hendrix quote "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world shall know peace" ("You, Mr. Elation, with all your perfect plans for peace/Until the power of love can exceed the love of power/You know it can never, never be"). The album is highlighted by tracks such as "In Her Drawer", a powerful tune related to prescription drug use, "One Million Miles an Hour, Fast Asleep", a dissonant, upbeat song which slows down to the soul filled finale that features thought provoking lyrics ("They say the old woman got the wisdom, cause she couldn't read a clock anymore/She said the numbers don't represent the moments/And she don't see what all that ticking's for/'They selling you time with repeat stimuli right in front of your eyes till you feel paralyzed/You're the only one who can define real'/Tell me right now how you really feel"), and the incredibly rocking song "Crushing Destroyer" (oh, how fitting a title). Just four days after the release of the album (June 28th), saxophonist/backup vocalist Steve Borth announced that he was leaving the band in order to pursue his side project, Satori.

The final aspect to be discussed of this intensity filled group is their live set. The RX Bandits thrive on playing live, and have become well known for putting on both physically and musically explosive shows, boasting dominance over almost any band of today. The RX Bandits is a band you will want to follow closely, as each release seems to build on the power and genius of the previous release...and if this trend continues, I want to be there for each future release.

No comments: