Remember when Keith Richards made love to a drinking
fountain at the Alamo and was arrested for indecent mumbling? From
that moment of passion, a boy sprouted into existence. "Behold! I
shall rock thee!" he said, and hence bought a guitar made from a coonskin
cap and the whiskers of a mountain lion. Not the best sounding guitar,
but whatever, that's his trip. Along with a chum from the school yard,
they moved onward to Austin to start what would later be known as
"The Band That Changed It All" according to Rolling Pooh. After falling
in love with a frog with a slender frame and sweet booty, the boy
and she and the chum started to rock it and roll it. But alas, something
was amiss! In walked Bigfoot and pulled out his chubby. His chubby,
bald friend the eagle was sleeping in his fur, you see. The eagle
played his four string wings and they rocked so very awesomely into
the night. Black Lipstick I dub thee! It may sound like a crazy, crazy
dream, but it's all true. I know, for I was there. -- Bigfoot, 3:14
The history of Black Lipstick can be told in many
ways. Another version of the story, one more grounded in "facts,"
show a band widely lauded by the independent press for raunchy riffs,
tasteful beats, a four-octave monotone and clever lyrical wit, centered
on topics which seemed important at the time (blowing off work, getting
f'd up, getting by, stealing girlfriends and keeping them). Some stoner
dude from a liberal arts college said they sound like a cross between
the Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, The Clean and The Feelies on
acid, in a blender, while having Tom Verlaine and Moe Tucker's Modern
Love child.
Turn the page to 2005. The band has grown considerably,
musically and emotionally, and Black Lipstick has recorded an album
that is more confident, emotional and personal than ever before. Not
to be overly dramatic or personal, this record wasn't written for
fun's sake; it was written for sanity's sake.
Lyrically, the aptly-titled Sincerely, Black Lipstick
primarily explores the passing of loved ones through a open letter
("Viva Max," "…") as a tribute to a profound, human experience. Sincerely
also retains and reinforces (forcefully) many of the traditional values
Black Lipstick upholds, like living for the moment and appreciating
it more than most. Listen to the swelling, crashing crescendos at
the end of "All Night Long Forever," and you'll see what I mean. You
can't help but flick your Bic.
Other highlights include the bombastic, driving "Bob
Fosse," a life-affirming celebration of enthusiasm that would definitely
have Tom Cruise sliding around on a hardwood floor. When guitarist
Phillip Niemeyer calls out, "The louder I sing, the lighter my burdens
get," a smacked tambourine and Keef-like riff TESTIFY.
"I'm out to prove/I'm just the same as my shoes,"
declares Niemeyer in the feedback-washed rocker "No Mercy," in which
his true aim is our sacks. But don't flinch -- the rock organ breakdown
will block the blow and prove that some things are worth fighting
for.
The most notable difference between this record and
previous releases is the increased presence of BL's renaissance elf
Steven Garcia, who set aside his bass and stepped to the mic and guitar
to contribute three songs and grace us with some effing majestic riffage.
Nowhere does he shine more brightly than on "Grandma Airplane," which
boasts some of the most intricate, dense guitar layering on the record.
Yes, Black Lipstick loves ZZ Top and the Fucking Champs -- plop that
shit in the blender.
History is nothing more than a chronicle of human
experiences. Sincerely, Black Lipstick is a tale of natural history.
Cycle. Rebirth. I will now put down my quill pen, close this leather
bound tome and commence a really bad-ass solo.
- - - - Glitterhouse
France - glitterhouse@talitres.com
- - - - Glitterhouse
- - - -
