Neon Blonde - 2005 Headlines [EP]

Band : Neon Blonde

Album : Headlines [EP]

Release Year : 2005

Genre : Post-Hardcore / Indie / Experimental

Tracklist :

1. "Headlines"
   2. "Barbados Nights"
   3. "Savannah Nights"
   4. "Headlines (remix by Jay Clark)"

 

Neon Blonde’s debut EP Headlines, Whitney and Gajadhar take electronic music and twist it into something sick and new, much like the Blood Brothers do to hardcore. Each song seems grounded in familiar points but is soon uprooted by strange and violent interjections. 

The EP opens with an almost Trent Reznor-like, industrial beat before Whitney’s signature whine and a creepy organ kick in. “Headlines” could almost pass as a more stripped down song from Crimes as Whitney quickly runs through his numerous vocal personalities. He will scream, taunt, threaten, and sass you before the song is over. Just when it seems like the song has no more surprises, horns kick in that sound like a mix between Radiohead’s “The National Anthem” and free-form jazz. 

“Barbados Nights” comes next with its Casio programmed beat that is filled with handclaps and maraca shakes. The song’s synths and guitars are faded into the background and sound like an 80's pop hit from an alternate dimension. Whitney’s vocals are distorted and delayed, making his already insidious voice even more abrasive and dangerous.

The EP than takes a drastic turn in sound for “Savannah Nights.” Here the band is suddenly more freak folk than dancey, scream-filled electronica. The augmented acoustic guitars and bits of ambient noise play out like something from a Neutral Milk Hotel song while Whitney’s layered vocals sound like a mix between David Bowie and a mental patient ranting from the corner of a padded cell. A remix of “Headlines” by Jay Clark closes out the release. The opener suddenly becomes a more hip-hop-flavored closer, thanks to a speedy hi-hat heavy beat. Clark also takes the horns from the end of the track and samples them throughout, and adds more layers of sound by cutting noises and new instrumentation in and out.While the songs on the EP are great pieces of music made up of interesting compositions, the short running length and fact that one of the four songs is a remix of another detract from the release a bit. Still, it seems like this EP is not really meant to stand on its own, but merely serve as a preview for the band’s upcoming full-length.

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Neon Blonde - 2005 Chandeliers In The Savannah

Band : Neon Blonde

Album : Chandeliers In The Savannah

Release Year : 2005

Genre : Post-Hardcore / Indie / Experimental

Tracklist :

1. Black Cactus Killers
2. Crystal Beaches Never Turned Me On
3. Chandeliers And Vines
4. Princess Skullface Sings
5. New Detroit
6. Headlines
7. Love Hounds
8. Dead Mellotron
9. Cherries In Slow Motion
10. The Future Is A Mesh Stallion
11. Wings Made Out Of Noise

Neon Blonde was a dance-punk/indie electronica/experimental post-hardcore duo consisting of Johnny Whitney and Mark Gajadhar from The Blood Brothers. They were based in Kirkland, Washington. The two expand upon The Blood Brothers sound by making more electronic and dance music, while still keeping their hardcore roots.

After releasing a 4 track EP, Headlines, Blood Brothers Johnny and Mark return with Neon Blonde's full length debut, Chandeliers in the Savannah. Building upon the wierd ideas presented in Crimes, the latest Blood Brothers record, Chandeliers in the Savannah uses influences ranging from hardcore bands to the pop stylings of Prince and Michael Jackson to the experiments of Brian Eno and Roxy Music.
  

If one phrase could be used to describe this excellent full length debut from Neon Blonde, it would be "all over the place". The last record from The Blood Brothers only hinted at the wierdness that takes place on Chandeliers In The Savannah. The album cycles through dance tunes, indie rock, full blown screaming, piano ballads and electronic experiments, just to name a few. While The Blood Brothers show excellent and experimental ideas with their music, it's as if Neon Blonde gives insight into Whitney's head. He pretty much has total creative control, as well as playing a vast majority of the instruments on the record. More than anything, Chandeliers In The Savannah seems as if if all of Whitney's wierd ideas have exploded onto the one disc, though it also seems like there are plenty more where they came from. Gajadhar's role in the band seems much less prominent. It seems likely that Johnny doesn't play drums and he wanted a drummer to work with. Gajadhar, being already in The Blood Brothers with Whitney was an obvious choice. Composed of many different musical styles, this is one of the most fresh and original albums.

So Neon Blonde are original, fun, clever and they rock out. But more importantly, the actual songs are excellent. Extremely catchy and fun, Whitney's songwriting is at it's strongest on this record. Most of the songs demonstrate some very wierd sounds, while being incredibly catchy. What is even more unreal about this album is that the ideas were all almost entirely the work of Whitney. Neon Blonde also showcases some of his highest vocals yet. Songs like "Chandeliers and Vines", "Dead Mellotron" and "Cherries In Slow Motion" feature his signature falsetto style of twisted singing. Album opener "Black Cactus Killers" sounds much like it could be a Blood Brothers song, while "The Future Is A Mesh Stallion" is an electronica song, Johnny Whitney style. Whitney's vocals are a definite highlight of the record, while the instrumentation is equally impressive. A huge range of keyboard instruments, electric and acoustic guitars as well as tinny and cheesy drum machines litter the record. Every song different, but the album still flows extremely well. The first album from Neon Blonde is a great look into the mind of Johnny Whitney, as well as a highly original album full of excellent songs. Influenced by everything from hardcore to ambience to house to indie to hip-hop, this is one of the best indie (if you can call it that) records. Highly reccomended.

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