A funny thing happened at the Letters Organize and Whores. show last Friday night. Both Moe and Noose attended. They both got their faces rocked off. And they both reviewed the show. What to do? We could run both reviews (redundant), we could flip a coin (indecisive) or we could split this thing up (bingo!). So here you go. Let’s play a game of “who wrote what,” shall we?
Man, either 529 somehow fixed their acoustics or Whores. solved the riddle. As much as I like seeing shows there — it’s grimy, dark, close-quartered — the sound has always been the club’s glaring weakness. It bounces and reverberates off the narrow walls spilling into the center like so much formless mud. There’s no sharpness, no definition, no clarity — just a solid mass of loosely differentiated noise.
But not on this night. Maybe it was dumb luck, but from where I was standing the sound was remarkably clean and crisp. Abusively pummeling, for certain, but distinct and well-formed nonetheless. The guitars were mammoth, sinisterly heavy and all-encompassing. The Whores. sound has always been much about dense distortion and sheer volume, but tonight they sounded more formidable and impenetrable than ever. Lots of bands can lay claim to being loud as fuck, but Whores. are genuinely heavy. When they play it’s as if gravity is conspiring against you. Eventually your knees start to give. In that respect they remind me a lot of Helmet — brutal and precise with a penchant for bludgeoning noise.
The trio played a relatively short set — only six songs — but it was ferociously tight and intense. “Straight Down” continues to floor me every time I hear it, the transition between its droning, spaced-out moments and the buildup and release of the chorus becoming more abrasive and monumental with every listen. The rhythm section is propelled by a kind of militaristic stomp and mechanical precision that drives the song relentlessly towards its final frightening grind. It’s the band’s most dynamic effort, the anchor of a feverish, no frills set that pushed the crowd into a frenzy.
Usually when you’re being sprayed with beer and pelted by empties, it’s time to get the fuck off the stage, but on this night a Schlitz shower and PBR projectiles became a sign of admiration and batshit enthusiasm. Fancy that. It’s clear that Whores. are starting to connect and strike a nerve in this city. Where they go and how far they get is anyone’s guess, but there’s one thing that would clearly help their cause. So how’s about a new record, guys? Like pronto.
“A new day with no rules. I’ll refrain from old clues now.”
May 28th, 2010. Proof of life after death. The Letters Organize have risen from the ashes after a long (too long), but thankfully temporary, burnout.
This was not a reunion show, mind you. That already happened. These fuckers are back. For real. The setting was the intimate and loud 529 in the East Atlanta Village. Champing at the bit was the vibe. Most everyone there had been waiting many moons for this night. All of us knew the old material word for word, lick for lick. And my boys did not disappoint. Goddamn.
Hands down one of the best frontmen I have ever witnessed, Brent Jay is a ball of vibrating, nuclear, rabid energy. My man spends his time equally between the stage and the crowd, always making sure that the audience is the sixth member of the band. A sight for sore eyes, for sure. I’m an old, somewhat jaded, man, and I’ve seen and played about a million shows. They just don’t make them like that. Homeboy puts on a fucking incredible performance while never letting the vocals suffer. Try that one at home, kids. Shit ain’t easy.
The rhythm section, as always, was surgically precise. The only hiccup occurred when half of Donnie’s drum kit was mauled accidentally by a showgoer trying to get his crowd surf on.
The guitars were brilliant. Staccato, percussive and alive. I’m pretty sure my face was blistered off by the Tele through the Mesa. Jesus Christmas.
The classics felt as fresh as ever and the new material was received with open ears. This city needs the Letters Organize. Music needs the Letters Organize. We should be so lucky to have these dudes back full time.
More Info:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/the-letters-organize/106950166008636
Bandcamp: www.whores.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Whores/108004672554176
Wow, you guys.
Thank you so much.
BTW, our EP is done being recored and mixed. Kyle Spence (Harvey Milk) is mastering it, and it will be released on Trans Ruin Records ASAP.
Finally. Can’t wait to hear it. Need to get with you on those EP deets. Would like to do a mini feature before it comes out. Will hit you soon. STOKED!