Colton Vibe – Songs of the Week – Oct. 22
Local bands take the stage this week, including a couple legends from the Inland Empire
This week’s Vibe pulls out a map of the IE to look at some awesome local bands! (From top left: Hammers and Hearts, Smoke Fills the Air, Verdoux; From bottom left: Voodoo Glow Skulls, Zentonic, Queens of the Stone Age)
Myles is back!
And this week he is bringing you the best of what the Inland Empire has to offer. Over the years, while Los Angeles takes all the glory, the I.E. has been a hotbed of great music, like legendary metal guitarist Randy Rhoads, hip-hop standouts Lighter Shade of Brown, indie darlings The Mountain Goats, and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.
This week we look at songs by four excellent local artists, and remember tracks by two other local legends.
Turn Me Inside Out – Zentonic
The Red Hot Chili Pepper-inspired group Zentonic are a band to check out. They hail from Pomona, exciting fans with their blend of rock and funk. With their roots firmly planted in the soil of greats, “Turn Me Inside Out” makes me wanna turn myself inside out.
As Long as You Love Me – Hammers and Hearts
Flying hammers and hearts with daggers.
Emo rockers Hammers and Hearts take on Justin Bieber’s track “As Long as You Love Me” and turn it into a nightmarish song of obsession. H and H dramatically change the tone, putting the Canadian pop icon to shame by replacing the poppy chorus with a full-throated guitar assault.
The Dark Knight – Smoke Fills The air
Acid rain fills the sky when Smoke Fills The Air.
Shouting the words “Dark Knight” over and over again is Smoke Fills the Air’s specialty. Their obsession with Batman is duly noted, and for two-and-a-half minutes, head-bangingly inspiring.
Eucalyptus – Verdoux
Love is like an Eucalyptus plant.
With only eight monthly listeners on Spotify, it is time to get in on the ground floor with this local indie band, whose smooth delivery evokes mid-2010s artists like Grouplove, Young the Giant, and Passion Pit.
Insubordination – Voodoo Glow Skulls
These punk-ska lords come straight out of Riverside, and have managed to survive the last three decades by keeping true to their mission. “Insubordination” is one of their first local hits before they signed to Epitaph Records.
In My Head – Queens of the Stone Age
Josh Homme and the Queens of the Stone Age hail from Yucca Valley and the desert, where they rocked the thorns off cacti before blistering the eardrums of people around the world with their staccato brand of hard rock. On “In My Head,” from their fourth LP they fight the demons in their brains with a pulverizing, yet danceable rock attack.
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Senior Myles Garza is a staff writer for the Pepper Bough newspaper. His interests are in music, film and sports. He is an avid reader, writer, and athlete...