2005-07-04 - 00:02

Bleed the Dream is Cooler than You are.

I've updated a lot in the last twenty-four hours, so check it out.

Bleed the Dream is cooler than you are. Certainly, they are way cooler than me. I'm not cool, I'm nerdy at best and icy at worst. When Brandon Thomas from Bleed the Dream screams, he sounds like a bird of prey; the sound connects with that part of my lizard brain that understands and runs on pure emotion. You know, that bit we quiet on the back burner because its hard to operate in public when its running. Or maybe not a bird or prey, maybe more of some gigantic, badass flying monster from one of the scary sci-fi movies I had to sneak into the room to see when I was a kid. Either way, its almost preternatural and it gives the music a feel that lies somewhere between surreal and the just plain intense.

Live, he hovers over the monitors and wanders the stage working the crowd. There is no shoegazing in this band. Dave Aguilera and Keith Thompson play their instruments with the sort of grace that makes it look easy. They’re masters who just rock out live.

If I had to classify it, I’d say the music was melodic hardcore. Its not emo, which in my mind is synonymous with whining about bad relationships on repeat. Its emotional, but it goes beyond the “I can’t believe you fucked me over” and the “Why does the world hate me?” that has become cliche. Its edgy and with depth of character and I often find myself humming their tunes without wanting to trash my vocal chords. Its not the two-chord we-don’t-give-a-fuck-that-we-can’t-play punk. From the first raging chord followed by Thomas screaming, "There you go/Throwing stones" (on Built by Blood) to the last note fades the music rises and falls with delightful variation. They’ve put out two EPs and recently they released their first full length CD. The full length titled Built by Blood contains some tracks from the EPs reworked taking them from acoustic into the realm of the wired. And like quality artists, they didn’t just re-record the songs, they gave them room to grow and this is what really showcases their talent.

One of the songs that appears on the EP and the full length is Should Have Known. On the acoustic track, the vocals take the lead while the guitar and rhythm section hang back in a way that could almost be described as chill. On the full length, Aguilera’s guitar rages, driving the song forward cleanly and smoothly over Scott Gottlieb’s powerful drumming. In both cases, everything comes together perfectly, one element never overpowering any of the others.

I’ve had the opportunity to see them live twice and both times they impressed the hell out of me. Recently, they lost their drummer, Scott Gottlieb to leukemia but that’s him drumming on Built by Blood. To quote the website, “Somehow in all his pain and suffering he did the most ‘punk rock’ thing we’ve ever seen.” Which was pull himself out of bed in order to lay down the tracks for the CD. Dude, that’s so hardcore I can’t even tell you.

The last time I saw them was after Gottlieb’s passing. Before the last song they played, Thomas exhorted the crowd to appreciate the people in their lives and let them know they are appreciated. My friend Lindsay and I hugged. They closed with Broken Wings, a song about loss that makes Lindsay and I a little teary-eyed. This band is awesome and you can check them out on myspace.com and also on their website. This summer they’re playing the Warped Tour and rumor has it they’ll be heading overseas this fall.

Oh, and did Bob Geldof just compare himself and his musical cohorts to Gandhi, Dr. King and Nelson Mandela?

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Artificial Sound for the Artificial World: Awake --Bleed the Dream.

Still more noir than you are.