Jay Readard - Blood Visions (2006)That's the words and image of Jay Reatard, one of the few contemporary artists who "does it" for me. For the uninitiated, he plays a very raw and energetic form of garage-punk that highlights all the finest points of that style and adds even more. To many it may seem that continuing that loud/fast tradition may be fruitless, but Reatard proves that there is still some, though maybe not a lot of room for growth. His arrangements display a knowledge and creativity far beyond what is the norm in "punk" and give his simple songs more merit that one would expect. For the best example I would suggest the standout track "Oh It's Such a Shame" which has a beautiful ending of layered guitars and even some synths. Despite the high energy, aggression, stupidity, and immaturity you'll find in his music, Reatard certainly has strong songwriting chops. Some will say they were impressed with Built to Spill making "Nowhere Nothing Fuckup" a pleasant singalong but that's got nothing on "I won't stop until your dead/ Helping you and hurting me" from "Fading all Away" or a song about a family being bludgeoned to death becoming a fun song to bounce your head to ("My Family").
Jay Reatard is the only artists these days brining everything great about classic punk from the Ramones and the Damned up to the Descendants into the twenty first century.
He plays Harper's Ferry in Allston April 20. I'll be there.
I WILL write that Amon Düül II article.
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