BRAINERD – Brainerd

CD Reviews 24 Nov 2009

brainerd CDBRAINERD – Brainerd

(2009   Zodiac Killer)

With their singer being active in the Madison chapter of the Turbojugend fan club that idolizes Turbonegro, one could assume at first that their sound might mimic the legendary Norwegian punkers.  Although their music is indeed heavily informed by 70’s rock and their lyrics are both eerie and debaucherous, the resemblance mostly ends there.  Instead Brainerd’s new self-titled CD (also referred to by the name The Goat in some places) blasts a groovy form of stoner rock , a staple of the Madison scene for many years, that is more reminiscent of Clutch or Soundgarden. 

The song “Powerlines” is a friendly reminder that rock ‘n’ roll has a relatively high probability of setting us free, and “Mud” is a morbid tribute to decomposition (“Six feet deep is my home now / You can visit if you’d like, the cramped quarters will suffice.”). The tempo gets a boost in “Hurt In A Skirt”, their tribute to Madison’s badass roller derby girls, as well as the instrumental “Love Convulsion” if we are to assume that demonic grunting doesn’t count as lyrics.

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About the author

Sean Bunny

Sean has played drums for Outhouse, Pubic Stubble, B.O.R.D., Exploding White Mice, and Urn. He was a producer and engineer for WORT's Access Hour for several years and currently DJs once a month for the Inferno's Punk Rock Wednesdays. He has been a contributor to Rick's Cafe, Dane101, and Local Sounds Magazine.

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