Battlehooch

Piecechow

(Self-Released)

US release date: 2009

By Alan Ranta

There's Your Answer, Fishmilk

cover art

 Official Site

 Amazon
 Lala

There is something to be said for DIY bands that simply want to rock out and blow minds. You have to love bands that are not very impressively skilled, but play on with a timely passion and unfettered vitriol, much like the late ‘70s punk movement. Whatever talent and polish San Francisco’s Battlehooch obviously lack, they aim to make up for with an anything-goes ‘60s garage rock attitude and a spunky dose of absurdity, employing a bizarre vernacular of tuneless instruments, ludicrous effects, surreal slacker lyricism, and the power of the aimless, drug-haze jam session. The results are hit and miss, but their effort is much appreciated.

These guys aren’t just throwing the DIY tag out there to excuse shitty audio recordings and placate certain hipster genre requirements. They show their inarguable commitment to DIY by playing on the streets of the Bay Area, bringing their music to the people free of charge. Guitarist AJ McKinley truthfully explains, “There’s a whole system that exists about how people experience music, and we want to move against that as much as possible.” He has a point. Unfeeling corporate monoliths like Live Nation have live music by its short and curlies, and Battlehooch offer a prime example of the kind of rebellion more bands should engage in.

But it is not enough to simply try hard and promote a worthy ethos if you want to achieve decent success outside of your home town with this brand of band. The success I’m referring to, at best, is gaining the caliber of modest cult following that will allow you to quit your day job someday so can you busk around town willy-nilly and carefree. The individuals that make up Battlehooch are passionate enough to pass as buskers, but they are not quite good enough at their instruments to impress anyone who might pay to see them, at least not yet. They need a lot more practice, dedicated practice.

That being said, their gung-ho determination already has them close to falling neatly in a long line of spectacular cult bands, including the likes of Primus, Butthole Surfers, Camper Van Beethoven, and, to a lesser extent, Giddy Motors. Piecechow, Battlehooch’s debut album, is peculiar enough to run with any of them. I doubt it will be enough right now for them to gain the kind of widespread, organized fanbase (and occasional major label contract) that most of those bands enjoyed, but they have some time to work on it. As I said, they need more practice, as well as a decent producer and hopefully better recording gear. If they keep experimenting and pushing themselves, though, I’m sure they’ll find their x-factor eventually and be able to express it properly.

— 10 July 2009
Battlehooch - A Fishmilk Documentry
 
Bookmark and Share

Tagged as: battlehooch | diy | piecechow
Comments

Although I know these guys, I feel comfortable giving an unbiased assessment from seeing them live enough times, that they are one of THE MOST talented groups of musicians I have seen period. I am in successful Bay Area band myself, and I can say this band leaves most people (including musicians that see them) floored by their musicianship. This may not come across as well in the recording as you might like, and I appreciate reviews that make constructive critique without being too rosy, but if there’s one thing this band has going FOR them, its technical skill at playing their instruments. I think this band will age like fine wine, and given their talent at fostering an almost cult-like image they will continue to develop a loyal following down the road.

Comment by Sean from San Francisco — July 10, 2009 @ 2:33 pm

So, I totally get that a lot of people won’t be totally down with Battlehooch. They’re not exactly the next Yo La Tengo or Handsome Furs but I also think that’s also one of their great assets. They’re totally odd, over the top and know how to be caricatures of themselves while having fun playing music they love. I don’t know what Alan Ranta’s personally musical taste entails but I’d be willing to bet he’s into more palatable music than Battlehooch creates and that’s totally fine. My main issue with the above review is the fact that Battlehooch is characterized as a bunch of no-talent dudes who simply “pass as buskers”. This is totally inaccurate. Battlehooch is a group of immensely talented and extremely hardworking guys who, whether you like it or not, do interesting things that I think anyone who likes music can appreciate on some level.

Comment by Aaron from Jamaica — July 10, 2009 @ 3:37 pm

yes… their music can’t be good until they’re virtuosos…. because iggy and the stooges were great virtuosos and thats why their music was special…. same with the sex pistols… or nirvana… or buddy holly…. or syd barrett…. or bob dylan…..


:)

Comment by musical virtuoso from vienna, austria — July 11, 2009 @ 2:12 pm

Just to clarify, I am into a lot of music others find “unpalatable” [lest you all be Venetian Snares fans] and I do quite like Battlehooch. This was a positive review. I’m even using a track of theirs on my next Tiny Mixtapes Chocolate Grinder, just to give the album a little more promotion elsewhere. They are good.

I merely proposed that they need to improve if they want to get to the same nationwide cult level as the bands I mentioned in the review, let alone Iggy & The Stooges, Nirvana, Syd Barrett, Bob Dylan, or any of the genre-pioneering, platinum-selling major label artists musical virtuoso from vienna mentioned. They simply aren’t there yet, and I repeat yet. It’s their debut album, after all. Don’t pigeonhole them already. Let them grow, evolve, and impress. With your encouragement and their tenacity, they will. Thanks for reading.

Comment by Alan Ranta from Vancouver, BC — July 21, 2009 @ 11:54 am

Add a comment

Please enter your name and a valid email address. Your email address will not be displayed. It is required only to prevent comment spam.

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?