Bummer's Eve is the latest in a series of lo-fi, noisy punk bands that have descended upon the Queen City. However, what sets this band apart - and above - the others is their unique, effects-driven sound that they call 'fuzz punk.'
There is a lot to like about the band's 5-song release entitled Pleasure Isle that came out this Spring. At their core, Bummer's Eve is a band deeply rooted in the music of punks progenitors like The Damned and Buzzcocks; but they then take this classic fervor and saturate it within layers of fuzz-tone, phasing, and heavy vibrato. The result is a gorgeous marriage of psychedelic and sociopathic.
The three members of Bummer's Eve: Mike [guitar], Victor [bass] and Tommy Lee [drums] have been getting a lot of attention for their sound and their style and just recently played at the Meltasia festival in Lafayette, GA.
There is more than a hint of coincidence in the fact that Pleasure Isle was recorded by Jerri Queen [Tweens] through Hard Body Sounds in Batavia. At first listen, the song "Life's a Rag" sounds like a slowed down and phased-out version of the Tween's song "Bored in the City." Similarly, the last track, "28 Days," also has a twangy surf-punk vibe that feels very Tweens-like.
My favorite song on Pleasure Isle, after listening to this album a dozen times, is still the very first one - "Butter-Face." There is something about the way the song crawls out of the sonic morass that opens the album that draws me in. Also, sonically, I find this song very similar to The Damned's classic "New Rose." Chalk that one up to sentiment if you wish, but I still say "Butter-Face" is a great song.
Currently, Bummer's Eve is working with Almost Ready Records in Brooklyn, NY [Natural Child, Nobunny, Livefastdie, Atlantic Thrills, Liquor Store] on a full-length LP. Look for that to launch somewhere around the end of this year.
In the meantime, keep your eyes on their Facebook page for more live shows coming soon.
