(courtesy: Christian Reed – Concert Co-Op)
As seen by my glowing review of another Explode Into Colors 7” release , it doesn’t take a Mensa member to find out that I love the band. So when I saw a lonely copy of their currently out-of-print M’Lady’s released 7” on the shelf at Mississippi Records, I had to snatch it up — and good because I think their debut certainly outshines its two successors!
For those with a short memory, Explode Into Colors is an all-girl garage rock trio hailing from Portland that can best be described as a Northwest version of Austin’s Finally Punk, only noticeably “less punk-y” than their southern contemporaries. Without a doubt, percussion tends to be the favored locomotive power of the band and the A-side “Coffins” is a prime example of this. With a tribal tom-tom drum beat that any marching band drum-line would be envious of, Explode Into Colors do what their name suggests and spatters their music into the ears of the listener.
Not one to buck the trend, B-side “Sharpen the Knife” features a similar powerful drumbeat only this time it has a bass line (courtesy of Claudia Meza) to match the intensity of the pounding by Lisa Schonberg. No doubt all the blood, sweat, and tears Schonberg puts into the group is deserving of an inevitable Tom-Tom zine nod, but with “Sharpen the Knife” it’s Meza’s voice that shines, emphasizing the creepiness the track title implies.
Fortunately, for those who weren’t quick enough to purchase this record, M’lady’s will be releasing all three of Explode Into Colors 7”s in one 12” vinyl package in the coming months, so be on alert! To whet your appetitie, here’s a video of them performing “Sharpen the Knife” live back in May:
