My love for sludge/rock/whatever trio Big Business should come as no surprise to any avid reader of this blog. They've been featured on ten of my Friday mp3 shuffles, and a track from this very album even opener the very first one way back in February 2009.
A quick history lesson, perhaps? Alright:
Jarred Warren played in KARP, The Whip, and Tight Bros From Way Back When (all great bands, check'em out). His friend and KARP/The Whip drummer Scott Jernigan died in a boating accident in 2003. He decided to get a new band started and called up Coady Willis, drummer of The Murder City Devils.
The first album Head For The Shallow came out in 2005 to rave reviews. Great record, but at times it does feel a bit aimless. A bit too freeform and stream of consciousness. This problem was definitely fixed for this their second record. This is tighter, more focused and to the point. Phil Ek, producer of everything from Earth to Fleet Foxes, gave Big Business one of the most powerful and just downright badass productions I've ever heard.
Whereas the first album had a filler or two, this one doesn't have a dull moment. Not a single one. Every song is an anthem, the riffs will make your speakers fall off their shelves, Jared's mighty powerhouse bellows almost make me cry with excitement. Coady also happens to be the best rock drummer this side of Dave Grohl.
A near perfect record by a near perfect band.
And of course in 2005 Big Business was recruited by the Melvins to be their new rhythm section, making their Melvins debut with (A) Senile Animal, #7 on this list. A match made in heaven, as the Melvins are clearly a big influence on Big Business. But I must say with this one they managed to beat their mentors at their own game.
Fun but rather useless Melvins + Big Business trivia: current Big Business guitarist Toshi Kasai (he joined in 2008) engineered (A) Senile Animal, and David Scott Stone (sometime member of the Melvins) plays guitar on this record.
(mp3) Big Business - Shields
(mp3) Big Business - Start your digging
Buy it @ Amazon.com
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