Wednesday 05.20.09: Club NME with USELESS KEYS / BM LINX

Posted by Brianna - filed in Events

With a name like Useless Keys, one might be tempted to dismiss them as another one of those bands that isn’t opening any new doors. This is not the case with Useless Keys, the new project of former Front frontman Michael Bauer with Rory Modica, Guylaine Vivarat (ex-Molecules) and Michael Regilio (ex-Green and Yellow TV). Discovering this upstart quartet is like discovering one of those really cool old-timey keys- you know, the really long ones with the two teeth-that you might hold on to because of a weird feeling that maybe it someday might unlock something mysterious. In just three songs, Useless Keys’ self-titled debut EP showcases a short but sweet mish-mosh of sixties melodies and modern rhythms, droney guitars and sweet vocals and delivers a few unexpected surprises. The disc starts strong with a disturbed Ray Davies-style melody on “Down Threw” and “White Noise” manages to resurrect the power of 90′s-style climbing guitar riffs in a way that actually works when mixed up with dark undercurrents that seem to be the band’s signature. And–and this is something I hadn’t thought possible– the Floydian guitar solo in “It’s All Made Up” actually doesn’t sound cheesy. From the looks of things, Useless Keys are worth keeping around. – LA Record

bmlinx

BM Linx || Listen || Watch

The members of BM LINX clearly do not wish to tie themselves down and label themselves as a genre band. Their classic rock vocals and feel good vibe are proof of this. If I had to describe their sound, I would say it’s kind of like the Rolling Stones catapulted into the electronica age – driving beats and guitar riffs peppered with synthesizers, buzzing basslines, and the occasional programmed drum loop.

Of course everyone needs a name for something once it’s even slightly distinguished itself, and so the band’s style was dubbed electro-rock. But the sound that boosted BM LINX to underground stardom and turned the head of UK super producer Alan Moulder is one that these three New York boys are constantly trying to squirm away from. There are portions of the album that take on a bluesy, down-home type feel, and then there are portions where they delve off into alternative 90s melancholia. The fascinating thing is that it seems like a natural progression – an exploration of influences tied together by electronic undertones. A post-modern stew, Black Entertainment plays like an alternation between head-banging rock and moody electronic meditations. Alan Moulder’s task of mixing such an ambitious project made up of theoretically clashing sounds was a thankless one. He cannot get enough credit for massaging BM LINX’s schizophrenic style into something cohesive and complete. This makes for an enjoyable listen. – URB Magazine