Saint Motel
There has been many a phrase coined to describe the bare essence of rock n roll, but what I think it ultimately comes down to is taste. You can have the skills, but without the look and the attitude you’ll be stuck playing Steve Vai covers in your bedroom forever. You can have the look and the attitude, but without some kind of musical ability nobody will buy your records. You may feel cool now, but in 20 years you’ll be the old guy with all the tattoos making angry lattes at the coffee shop.
If you have taste, it serves as your guiding light. You know you want to make good music and your senses lead you down the proper path. You may not be born with Jimmy Page’s fingers, but you have the good sense to at least take some guitar lessons. You might not look like a male model, but you know better than to get on stage wearing jean shorts and a fanny pack.
More importantly, if you have taste you most likely have the ability to pull the whole package together. This is important in the modern world of rock n roll because these days it’s not just a band, it’s a brand. You’ve got your music, your album art, your videos, your merch, your website, and your social media. And if you want to make any money from it then the whole thing better be pretty fucking spiffy.
This requires a unified vision, not to mention a pretty serious work ethic. A shining example of this can be found in the LA band Saint Motel. I don’t know where they find the energy and diligence necessary to sustain their prolific output. They only have one album out and they’ve already made at least six music videos. These videos are not cheap, throw-away art projects either. They’re full-blown, MTV style affairs complete with fly-away sets and elaborately staged funerals.
They also play a lot. They are almost always on tour and - I will have to confirm this with their management - I think they play LA something like nine times a week. When I saw them at Spaceland last year they showed up at the club three hours early with an army of art students to decorate the place like an elaborate psychedelic dream. People walked into the club, took one look around and knew they were in for a show.
I tell you all of this because Saint Motel will be playing the Rickshaw Stop this Monday night (4/19). Their infectious brand of indie rock meets 1970s FM fuzz will put your week in perfect alignment. Topping off the bill are UK up-and-comers Band Of Skulls, a pretty kick-ass band in their own right. If you have taste, style, class or even just common sense you can prove it to the world by showing up and getting down.
MP3: ‘Butch’
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