Pirates have always owned. I’m sure pirates must be an erotic fetish to people around the world. As far as music went back when these bastards of the sea “raped and pillaged”; so to speak, the tunes weren’t so attractive, and the most recognition it ever got from drunk goons was the big leg off the chicken. I’m sure the whole world has since appreciated pirates’ contributions to human culture; The funny looking airy tunes of the accordion, the comical myth that parrots can actually talk, and of course, the good ol’ fashioned gangbang…To this day, I still want a pirate hat.
The Briggs are a Los Angeles-based band that reflect beneath the very essence of influences, and the fun they can bring to a listener. They started their career with
Is This What You Believe?, their debut E.P, and their widely-known full-sailed boat on the front of their E.P,
Leaving The Ways, which jumped on the very boat that led many other big names onto safety, and to the road of making big. Jumping the gun, The Briggs signed on to Side One Dummy, and in 2003, the band released their first full-length album.
Numbers deals a new card as the band can actually indulge into actual themes and measures of equality. Remember Ken Casey? The Dropkicks vocalist is well known for his ardent vocals that can shift nicely as the music voyages through changes itself. That might have to be the biggest influence that wipes vocalist Joey LaRocca clean in the band’s debut gem. Along this dwells reflections from all directions. Stiff Little Fingers, Casualties, Adolescents, The Clash, and Rancid.
Its us against the world today
You know this could go on forever
Pollute our minds with what they say
You gotta run alone but I know it aint so
We can have it our own way
But we gotta learn to work together-
3rd World War
I’ve said it before, and it stands true that sometimes when you have nowhere to start, it works well from the mind, and from the heart to follow your resources, and influences and work your way up, as true musical icons have done before. These days, when a group should try to attempt a direct hit with a root influence, they are accused of taking in too much a deal of the material, thus cheating it in making it their own. But when you mish-mash all these together, and toss in some of your own message and aggression off that old spice rack, how bad can it turn out? In fact, turn it all the way around and tell yourself we’re looking at an excellent album here. Punk always did sound the same to unsuspecting consumers. What can fans of the style really, except that it all really does in a big sense. It’s until you nurse it with all that TLC (lame) that it then becomes familiar to you, and sets itself apart from anything else that hits speakers, especially today. The Briggs will indeed give off this same occurrence upon the first listen. Not a big shock, but the tunes shall get to you, and lie categorized into the four major works that bring the goods.
Who are you to judge?
Those who know too much
You try to bring me down
But I'm never gonna budge-
Face Off
Brothers Joey and Jason LaRocca blast the riffage that is to be seen on the album as well as a handsome group of vocal-work that eventually crosses paths with the other composition on here. The leads by Jason are sick. They do exactly what every other lead in the world of music should do. They tell you what to expect of the song. Will you cry, will you start to bang your head, or will you be bored enough to go get another strawberry yogurt? The case is simple for all the tracks on the album. Enjoy the tune, and crank one out for the City of Angels. The two brothers supply enough harsh melody to keep a Neil Diamond fan-crowd busy, and solos by Jason rip *** open and then open. It sounds organized, yet very free, and with no track. Charile Curtis and Chris X take care of the busy rhythm section of The Briggs. Charlie does some Little Fingers-led wonders on his bass while Chris will follow with bass-patterns that would please the mighty Topper Headon (doesn’t come close, but okay). Charlie provides some of the more wheezy vocals and gets back to his assigned lines during high points of the music. All very fast, some quite heavy, some quite free-lancing, but all very driven and very to-the-point.
My favorite thing about The Briggs and something to definitely watch out for is the presence that the chants and group-led points in a song can bring. Like no other I’ve heard in some time, and not so great since Sham 69 has there been such a need to get up and join when hearing a Briggs chorus. The lyrics are the adrenaline themselves. Speaking of mutiny, youth, insomnia, and murder, the music leads with words that won’t go unnoticed, and always keeps your head in a story, if you can understand it at all. Come one, come all, chant with us our glorious call.
The Briggs big deal was, at least, in their earlier days, pirates, and the high seas; both very interesting themes, by the way. Joey LaRocca proudly wears a sailor hat onstage and shows he’s a real scurvy dog (lamer). He also proudly leads through a series of stories that although circles around the same system of building blocks, it still manages to have some rocks that stand out respectively.
Face Off and
Keep Us Alive seem to be the heaviest numbers (eheh) on here, and are must-listens, as well the high-sea adventure
Dead Men (Don’t Tell Tales). Perhaps the best score on here is the last piece, demonstrating the band’s respect for their roots, and therefore, ending the album in such a note, that it seems so different from the rest. It’s something of pure marvel,really. Something to respect.
Can you hear the silence now?
The sound of oblivion
Mournful misfortune of the heroes
That we now have lost
Recognition of their past glories
Esteem that will never die-
Heroes By Choice
The Briggs
Joey LaRocca- Vocals, Guitar
Jason LaRocca- Guitar, Vocals
Charlie Curtis- Bass, Vocals
Chris X- Drums
Stand Out Tracks:
3rd World War
Media Control
Face Off
Keep Us Alive
Heroes By Choice
Yummy
4/5
