Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Background information
Origin Flag of United States San Francisco, California, USA
Genre(s) Folk-Rock
Garage Rock
Blues-Rock
Blues Revival
Indie Rock
Neo-Psychedelia
Years active 1998–present
Label(s) Virgin Records
Echo Records
RCA/BMG
Website Official website
Members
Peter Hayes
Robert Levon Been
Nick Jago

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC for short) are an American garage folk band from San Francisco, California, now based in Los Angeles. The band is comprised of Peter Hayes (guitar, bass, vocals); Robert Levon Been (guitar, bass, vocals) and Nick Jago (drums/percussion). Known for their catching brand of garage rock, folk revival, blues and heartland rock, influences of the BRMC are often cited in the veins of Bob Dylan, The White Stripes, John Denver and The Doors.

Contents

[edit] History

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club formed in 1998, taking their name from Marlon Brando's motorcycle gang in the 1953 film The Wild One.

Their first two records were indebted to late-era classic hard rock influenced by Iggy Pop And The Stooges, The Ramones, The Doors, and 1980s British acts like Spacemen 3 and especially The Jesus and Mary Chain. Their style also encompassed slower paced psychedelic rock and space rock similar to Retro metal act Dead Meadow. Recently, with their third record Howl, they developed a more concrete sound and style; encompassing blues, folk, and trad rock, while remaing angst-ridden in theme.

The vocals are shared between Robert Levon Been (Bass) and Peter Hayes (guitar). Been and Hayes met at high school in San Francisco and quickly formed a band, writing music and playing together. Looking for a drummer, they met Nick Jago, who hailed from Devon in England, who had moved to California to be with his parents after spending some time at Winchester School Of Art, where he was studying fine art. Been used the pseudonym 'Robert Turner' on the first two records, in an attempt to not be linked to his famous father (Michael Been of The Call.) He later dropped this identity when promoting Howl.

The band were originally under the name 'The Elements' but after discovering that another band had the same name, they swiftly changed to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Caught up in the hype of the music-press fueled 'New Rock Revolution' which included The Strokes and Kings of Leon in 2001 to 2003, the band quickly separated themselves from the others in both sound and image. Their second album Take Them On, On Your Own has several songs such as "Generation" and "US Government" that make attacks on the United States and in particular George Bush that were echoed by alternative rock band Green Day the next year.

After conflict with the label, the band were dropped by Virgin Records in 2004, with Nick Jago leaving the band at the end of their summer tour of the same year due to 'internal conflict' (later revealed to be a drug addiction and drinking problem). After Jago's departure, Hayes and Been posted on their official website that the doors are open for him to come back if he has solved his problems. Hayes and Been then regrouped and recorded their third album.

In 2005 the band signed to Echo in the UK, and RCA in the US, with Jago also returning. Their third album Howl was recently released to widespread critical acclaim. Several of the songs on Howl are said to have been written long before the idea of the BRMC was conceived. Jago returned after most of the album was recorded but plays on track 7, "Promise".

Possible influences of the band include the beat poet generation, notably of the Denver scene, and particularly in Allen Ginsberg. This is evident in the title of their latest album, Howl, the name of Ginsberg's most celebrated work.

They have confirmed that they have finished recording their 4th album; Baby 81 which will be released on April 30th in the UK & Europe and 1st May 2007 in the US. The tracklisting has been revealed as:

1. Took Out a Loan 2. Berlin 3. Weapon of Choice 4. Window 5. Cold Wind 6. Not What You Wanted 7. 666 Conducer 8. All You Do Is Talk 9. Lien on Your Dreams 10. Need Some Air 11. Killing the Light 12. American X 13. Am I Only

It is possible to listen to "Weapon Of Choice" and "666 Conducer" on their homepage on http://www.blackrebelmotorcycleclub.com/

The album in its entirety leaked onto the internet on 17 March 2007.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

B.R.M.C.
(April 3, 2001)
UK #25
Take Them On, On Your Own
(August 25, 2003)
US #47, UK #3
Howl
(August 22, 2005)
US #90, UK #14, #33 AUS
Baby 81
(May 1, 2007)

[edit] Singles

  • "Red Eyes and Tears" (February 2001)
  • "Rifles" (March 2001)
  • "Whatever Happened to My Rock 'N' Roll (Punk Song)" (October 2001)
  • "Love Burns" (January 2002) UK #37
  • "Spread Your Love" (May 2002) UK #27
  • "Whatever Happened to My Rock 'N' Roll (Punk Song)" (September 2002) UK #46
  • "Stop" (August 2003) UK #19
  • "We're All in Love" (November 2003) UK #45
  • "Ain't No Easy Way" (August 2005) UK #21 (Featured in an episode of popular comedy show My Name Is Earl)
  • "Weight of the World" (October 2005) - Not officially released
  • "Weapon Of Choice" (April 2007)

[edit] EPs

  • "Screaming Gun EP" (October 2001)
  • "Howl Sessions EP" (2005)

[edit] External links

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Peter Hayes | Robert Levon Been | Nick Jago
Discography
Studio albums: BRMC | Take Them On, On Your Own | Howl | Baby 81
Singles: Red Eyes and Tears | Rifles | Screaming Gun | Whatever Happened to My Rock 'n' Roll (punk song) | Love Burns | Spread Your Love | Stop | We're All in Love | Ain't No Easy Way | Weight of the World
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