This is a new feature I am starting today titled 'Five Songs
From...' in which I take one particular artist and post five songs from various
albums throughout their career. They are
not always their best songs, or even the most popular of their music, but together they form a sort of musical timeline, outlining the band's career, style and
sound that have developed over the years.
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I start the series off with one of, if not my favorite band, The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Formed
in 1995 in San Francisco by front man Anton Newcombe, this band has had a
staggering amount of former members in its history. Some
40 different musicians have passed through its ranks, with Newcombe as the only constant. This fact
leads to the thinking that Anton must be a difficult person to work with
judging from some of his peculiar media statements and shocking on-stage antics. In fact, Anton's colorful and
rebellious character was taken to the big screen in a documentary about The
Brian Jonestown Massacre titled DiG!, which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best
Documentary at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
Newcombe however, denotes the film for its inaccurate portrayal of him.
As this all may be true, The Brian Jonestown Massacre have
never let their critical reception become a distraction from making music. Their creative output is unmatched, going
beyond the industry norms releasing 10 albums in their first 10 years. But while their efficiency is impressive, the
band's creative blend of multiple sounds and styles stands above all. In terms of genre, they have attacked rock
from all angles being defined as indie, folk, psych, shoe gaze and experimental. They are sometimes
reminiscent of the early days of rock n' roll in Bob Dylan and The Rolling
Stones while other times sounding more like a techno-pop mash-up made on some
kid's computer. Yes, to be said, The Brian Jonestown Massacre are truly one-of-a-kind.
