I fell for it – first time I saw Bro Jovi’s name I assumed they were a Bon Jovi cover band (and, truth be told, that wouldn’t have been too upsetting). But one listen to the Cleveland band’s debut, Songs to Crush Beers To, Vol. 1, shows that these tough guys are no poodle-haired ’80s throwback. They do sound suspiciously like Pantera (I ain’t complaining). Check out this brand new video for “I Am Eternal”.
Small Stone put out some great stoner-rock/metal in 2010 (check out this post on Brokenbeard.com that spotlights 9 releases including some great stuff by Skanska Mord and All Time High) and is getting 2011 started off quickly with new releases by The Might Could (featuring Alabama Thunderpussy’s Erik Larson) and Suplecs.
Small Stone’s website curiously doesn’t have any free MP3s to sample from either artist but you can check out music by both at their respective MySpace pages.
Jan 6, 2011 – Newark, DE – Mojo Main
Jan 7, 2011 – Philladelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
Jan 8, 2011 – Brooklyn, NY – The Acheron
Jan 9, 2011 – Allston, MA – Great Scott
Jan 10, 2011 – North Hampton, MA – The Elevens
Jan 11, 2011 – Pittsburgh, PA – 31st Pub
Jan 12, 2011 – Cleveland, OH – Now Thats Class
Jan 13, 2011 – Indianapolis, IN – TBA
Jan 14, 2011 – Chicago, IL – The Empty Bottle
Jan 15, 2011 – Detroit, MI – Corktown Tavern
Jan 16, 2011 – Akron, OH – The Leathershop
Jan 17, 2011 – Columbus, OH – Bourbon St.
Jan 18, 2011 – Baltimore, MD – The Side Bar
Jan 19, 2011 – Richmond, VA – Strange Matter
Found a post on MetalSucks.net titled “Metal Blade Records in 2010: Still Killing It”. Can’t remember the last time I cared about anything Metal Blade put out and, truthfully, really had no idea the label was still kicking it. The description of Barn Burner particularly interested me:
Up-beat, throwback stoner metal ala The Sword that’s got some real soul and actual musicality.
If you’re going to describe a band in 15 or words or less, this is how it should be done. I immediately sought out Barn Burner’s latest, Bangers, and it’s exactly as described by MetalSucks – throwback stoner metal. This is the type of band that I love stumbling across at SXSW, not knowing anything about them or their music.
Check this out (language at the beginning is NSFW).