As the UK waddles into 2011, disorientated and bloated from festive excess, it’s time to look at what the future holds. At the front of the line are New York three-piece The Beets. Releasing their second LP, Stay Home, is 2011 their year?
Formed in Queens, The Beets are the (not-quite alliterative) trio of Juan, Jose, and Jacob. Juan Wauters emigrated from Uruguay to Jackson Heights (hometown of Gene Simmons) where he met Jose Garcia and Jacob Warstler. Whilst Juan works his magic on guitar, Jose tickles away on the bass, and Jacob smashes through the drums. Juan and Jose supply the vocals together. To top things off, artist Matthew Volz is an honorary fourth member of the band whose artwork graces the covers of both albums and singles. Together they share a lo-fi DIY ethos and an adulation of the musical past that shines on their first album Spit in the Face of People Who Don’t Want to Be Cool.
From the first track of Stay Home it is clear that the same ethos is continued. With an average track length of 2.10 this is a Ramones-a-like whirlwind of surf-style 60s sensibilities slammed up against 70s garage rock and proto-punk mayhem. In one corner we have ‘Cold Lips’, akin to a slightly shouty Beatles, this wouldn’t go amiss with mop-tops and synchronised guitar waving. In the other corner we have ‘Watching TV’, where Sex Pistols-esque shouts of “watching television/watching television” let you know they have donned their ripped jeans and are ready to smash your face in. Sat in the middle, ‘Knock on Wood’ is like a secret Rolling Stones track, all strutting guitar and flamboyant posturing in a cut-price lo-fi way. Yet somehow, yes somehow, this hangs together like the best set of outtakes and scratchy recordings you could ever dream of, from the coolest band you never saw.
Heralding a choppy mix of garage rock and proto-punk the lo-fi immediacy of Stay Home sounds refreshing. With a clear passion for what they do, and no lack of talent, The Beets are one for this year’s radar. Which leaves us with a warning: the folk revival is over people; garage punks have stolen the guitars. - Matt Coxon
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