Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has largely been somewhat of a cult underground rock band for over two decades now, dipping into the mainstream during the garage rock revival in the mid 2000’s. They are a rock fan’s rock band through and through— grimy guitars, garage rock edgy drums, bass tones loaded with fuzz, and straightforward blues-based songwriting that breaks your expectations just enough with elements of psychedelia to keep you on your toes.
Their debut album B.R.M.C. was recorded at the legendary Sound City studios in Van Nuys and features production that’s befitting of their genre of choice. Listening to this album I’ve always gotten the feeling I’m in a small club with 50 other people enjoying the music– there’s a ton of microphone bleed and fuzz everywhere, an album that celebrates it’s raw imperfections, and for my money that’s exactly what a good rock and roll record should be.
A final personal note— the list of singers on planet Earth is extensive, but there’s a lot out there that is unattainable for me frankly. I’ll never have the roar of Kurt Cobain, the impeccable range of Chris Cornell, the suaveness of Sting, or the swagger of Bruno Mars.
But one singer I just absolutely adore is Peter Hayes for the simple reason that he sounds awesome as hell and leverages nuanced vocal delivery vs. natural talent to get his point across. It’s what I’ve tried to build my own voice after. Hayes has a slightly nasally voice (check), slurs his enunciation slightly (check), nails his low notes with a boozy flair (check), and selectively hits dissonant notes at key points to add some needed color when appropriate (check). He’s just straight up black leather jacket cool, and I was so damn pleased he teamed up with Dave Grohl on Real To Reel to kick off the Sound City soundtrack. It sets the tone for that record perfectly and I’m confident (without any insider knowledge) that it was a conscious choice to start an album focused on rock and roll with the vocal stylings of Hayes.
Standout Songs: “Whatever Happened To My Rock ‘N’ Roll”, “Awake”, “Love Burns”
