Welcome to “ONE TRACK MINDS” with Erika Rae Owen from Band Bombshell and Chris Knauf, board member of the Des Moines Music Coalition.  Each week, Erika and Chris take turns selecting a song of their choice, listen to it together for the first time, and document their reactions, thoughts and witty banter via instant messenger.  

This week, Chris chose “Strange Summer Break” from Des Moines band Bite My Tongue. Listen along while you read their commentary:

 

Chris:  Do you want to kill anyone yet?

Erika:  Heavy riffs. My favorite.

Haha! Not yet. I’m seein’ some red, though.

Chris:  Seriously? I’ve always been averse to heavy metal/punk.

Never felt the cred.  Barista rock for me all day, every day.

Erika:  I had a friend from high school that sat in front of me in math class that would listen to Opeth too loudly.

Chris:  Yep…just called out my cred, didn’t you?

Erika:  Haha! I didn’t. And if I did, I didn’t mean it viciously.

Chris:  It’s done already?!

Erika:  Yeah, the instruments totally take control of the song.

I like it.

Chris:  Replay?

Erika:  Agreed.

 

 

Chris:  It does have some drive as it starts.  I feel like the video could just be a montage of the pictures at GT’s.

Erika:  Yeah—It actually reminds me of an old Queens of the Stone Age song my dad likes. But only for the first few seconds of the song.

Chris:  Curious enough…I haven’t actually heard the word “summer” yet.

Good call on QOTSA.

Erika:  Haha, maybe we have. I can’t tell over those drums.

And I agree. Totally a GT montage soundtrack.

Chris:  Your Dad likes Josh Homme?  Do I dare ask how old your Dad is.  And how close in age he might be to me?

Erika:  He does! He’s a Pink Floyd/QOTSA mutt. My dad is almost 60. He’s pretty modern for his age.

Chris:  I’m not 60.  I just might dress like him, though

 

Erika:  This song reminds me of old emo/metal shows I used to go to when I was in high school. They’d pack our city’s armory full of kids punked out in black and piercings.

Chris:  The high hat reminds me of Offspring for some reason.  “Come

Out and Play.”  Just in parts.

Erika:  Good call! It does have the energetic vibe going for a bit.

Chris:  How much money do you think you’ve dropped at Hot Topic?

Erika:  Honestly?  High School Erika probably dropped about $150

there all together. Not much, really, but quite a chunk of my babysitting money.

Chris:  And young adult, college Erika?

Erika:  $0, truly and proudly.

Chris:  If I did emoticons, it would be the one that claps hands.

 

 

Erika:  These guys remind me a teensy bit of Dhobi Fats.

Maybe it’s just the high school rocker vibe I’m getting.

Chris:  But not at all like Dhani Jones.

Erika:  Oh, no. Definitely not.  You’re talking about the football player, right?

Chris:  Yes…well done.

 

 

Chris: I think it’s funny when they slow it down for that moment.  I don’t know why…just feels like they all of a sudden decided to send one out for the ladies.

Erika:  Breakdowns are always for the ladies.

Chris:  And beatdowns are for the men.  Wearing Ralph Lauren.  To shows like this.  Which I may or may not used to do.

Erika:  I’ll don my sole J. Crew dress.

 

 

Chris:  Alright…after 4 plays strong…thoughts?

Erika:  I think it’s a good jam band song. Sometimes I think bands going for that sound let the instruments overpower the lyrics accidentally, but this song sounded a little more intentional in that aspect.

Chris:  I would have never tagged them with the “jam band” label but feel it interesting you have.

Erika:  I define jam band as a group of guys (or girls) that just get together and play music. Just a casual thing.

Chris:  Why hasn’t there been a jam band called “Smuckers” yet?  Trademark issues?

Erika:  Awesome. I don’t know, but we need to get on that. Your daughter could play the tambourine!

Chris:  Yet she hates jam.  Irony defined.

 

 

Chris: I would give this song a solid 3 out of 5 lacerated arms.

Not necessarily my thing, but love the energy and snarl.

Erika:  I’d give it a 3.5. Only because I like that the lyrics weren’t completely drowned in the instrument noise. I feel like that’s way too easy to do.  Not my genre, either. But I actually listened to the album a couple of times through yesterday.

Chris:  Cheater!

Erika:  Just as background music! I kind of did it without thinking, haha. I promise I didn’t make any conscious formulated thoughts.  Won’t happen again, sensei.

Chris:  I think the public has now been put on notice of the lack of journalistic integrity over at Band Bombshell.

Erika:  So much journalistic integrity loss.

Chris:  I’ll look the other way.  This time.