Thursday, April 30, 2009

MALFUNCTIONING ROBOT ROCK: THE BLANK-ITS

Take a listen to one of the most crazed rock and roll songs of the past half-decade, the 2005 track “Master Intellectual” from Seattle’s BLANK-ITS. This came out on a split 45 with a band called The Feelers, and it was immediately the most throat-grabbing slice of loud, echoey, blistering, malfunctioning robot rock of that year. I fear it will be forever lost to the sands of time should I not post it for you today. As a bonus, you’re also getting the band’s debut 45 from the same year, 2005 – “Johnny’s Tongue/I’m OK”. As I said about it and the split 45 on my then-blog:

“…Super panicky, up-tempo and razor sharp garage pop from a Seattle group who’ve come a ways since I saw them play up there a couple years ago. If Regal Select were still pumping out pressing-of-400 singles by the likes of THE NIGHTS AND DAYS and FALL-OUTS, it’s not at all a hard stretch to see the BLANK-ITS as their labelmates in slashing, well-informed & non-cliché garage moves. It’s like you either get it or you don’t, and unlike the Northwest bands who dress up in monkey suits, KISS masks or skinny ties, this crew certainly gets it. “Johnny’s Tongue” is live-from-the-basement stupito ignoramus rock, in the best sense of the term – just wind it up & let it fly fast, hard and waaay loose. “I’m OK” is like a sloppy DICKIES minus any cornball stupidity, just loud chords & solid action. Also highly recommended: their side of a split 45 with THE FEELERS; the Blank-Its' “Master Intellectual” is echoey, robots-taking-over-the-planet garage punk with phaser vocals……”

The band, who’ve been making it happen since 2003, are still around and creating dirty masterpieces for a variety of labels. Catch up with their recent stuff here.

Play The Blank-Its, “Master Intellectual”


Download THE BLANK-ITS – “Master Intellectual” (split 45 with The Feelers)

Download THE BLANK-ITS – “Johnny’s Tongue” (A-side of 2005 single)
Download THE BLANK-ITS – “I’m OK” (B-side of 2005 single)

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