Somewhere
along the way, rock n' roll lost its edge and humor to a tawdry compromise with
commercial success and the tired hackery that goes along with the trumping of
"the next big thing." Ever since the world has bathed in the hyperbole
of bad promotion when a bucket of shit to the face would've been just as sufficient.
Rock is dead and Chuck Eddy killed it. But for a moment, let's consider Brooklyn's
own, The Giraffes.
The Giraffes don't need hyperbole. They are here to play music as loud, as nasty
and unapologetically rock as they can. See them live and feel free to throw
things at them while they play for their just as apt to throw it back at you
and make you deaf in the bargain. Yeah, they are serious musicians, talented
and dedicated too, but let your ears testify to that.
The Giraffes self-titled release on Razor & Tie flows song to song with
intensity and tons of balls. If you hate it, then go enjoy John Mayer and make
sure to give him a reach around. This is a rock album, a well executed, no bullshit
piece of rock music to be blasted as loud as possible. The album was written
and self-produced by the Giraffes in the fall of 2004, with Joel Hamilton of
Brooklyn's Studio G providing the engineering mastery.
The Giraffes were formed in the late Nineties by Damien Paris (guitar) and
Andrew Totolos (drums); the present lineup coalesced in the summer of 2002
with the addition of John Rosenthal (bass) and Aaron Lazar (vocals). Prior
to their affiliation with Razor & Tie, the band released two albums (including
Helping You Help Yourself) and an EP (A Gentleman Never Tells)—mostly
recorded in their own homemade studio, under a Hasidic dry cleaning shop.
As they are soon to be evicted! , please by the new album. And if you care
to know more just ask.