Member Since: 5/22/2004
Band Website: bullettraintovegas.com
Band Members: Dan Sena- vocals, guitarMarty Cornish- drumsErik Bailey- guitarGreg Horton- bass, vocals
Influences: Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, Frodus, Ink and Dagger, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Les Savy Fav, At the Drive In
Sounds Like: Bullet Train To Vegas is the latest in the line of smart moves by Nitro Records. The band executes panicked, hyperactively jagged, cynical post-hardcore / indie rock á la Despistado, but in a much more original manner (read: less obvious At The Drive-In tributing) while owing shades of a dance quality to acts like Q And Not U. As a result, We Put Scissors Where Our Mouths Are is a strikingly unique amalgation of influences for a debut full-length.The faux-British nip of vocalist Dan Sena puts him somewhere amongst Billy Talent's Benjamin Kowalewicz, the Buzzcocks' Pete Shelley and the Blood Brothers' Johnny Whitney; his voice doesn't necessarily ape or channel all three, but he pulls off the obnoxious high pitches just the same, helping contribute to the art punk quality of Bullet Train's sound. At the same time, there a handful of moments on the disc owing something to the first and last of the respective acts as well as others. The clean scream/sing dynamics in "This Bed's Meant For Two" recall the Blood Brothers while the same can be said for the temper tantrum-like "On The Disclosure" and Billy Talent. "And Sorrow's Native Son" sounds like a displaced moment from Relationship Of Command, with Sena apprehensively wailing "sender / receiver / this message failed!" and a subsequent series of riffs in the same vein. But the way the band isolates these spots is a huge plus in that they're clearly drawing from a diverse handful of acts while never allowing for a consciously continuous stream of mirroring.The superb trio of cuts that end the disc are just a testament to the overwhelming consistency of Scissors. The first, "Removing Ground," continues the "disconnected thoughts" unintention of the lyrics; the two-part chorus begins with a series of "GO! GO! GO!" chants, leading into a seemingly mid-track breakdown riff and the cut-off explanation of "to cut the chords and to have it understood / to strum the power of a 1000 voices heard..." "Fashion The New Black" is the upbeat predecessor to the apocalyptic hush in "Some Goodbyes Last Forever," the focus of the latter on mildly screeched chords and the haunting whisper of "holy the saint, to slit the throat."We Put Scissors Where Our Mouths Are is a half hour of fairly challenging, angular and sufficiently complex yet equally catchy and fun indie rock, pushed forward by a well-respected group of bands influencing the sound. Bullet Train To Vegas has immediately proved a knack for manipulating the recipe for writing great, creative songs without compromising anything along the way. punknews.org
Record Label: NITRO RECORDS
Type of Label: Indie