It doesn't take the title of the fourth song on Post Stardom Depression's latest release to prove frontman Jeff Angell is an unrepentant ambulance chaser. But "Ambulance Chaser," from Prime Time Looks a Lot Like Amateur Night, hammers home the point-"Baby don't ask me where I've been/I'm just an accident waiting to happen," Angell rasps like the devil you change the locks on only to booty call one troubled night's sleep later. This Seattle quartet plays quintessential Bad Boy Rock-the kind of stuff the Cult sweated between the music sheets when they were turning the charm on strong. And there's no lower level for PSD, whose libido is on ďŹre-and often on trial-in Prime Time.
Angell plays the tortured artist well-on "Make My Telephone Ring," he's a dog begging for a bone, and on "The Great Big Burn" he's on bended knee again, lamenting, "You shared my bed, you said my name, and what do I get in return?/It's all been a great big burn." Prime Time is one long headfuck, a blur of "reckless romance" and the dark days that ensue. But Angell and crew only sound tattered in the frontman's verbal admissions-the music is thrillingly dark, melodic alt rock, placing much weight on bombastic beats and chainsaw-edged riffs. PSD's second album sounds much larger than their stories of backstabbers and heart attacks-especially on the U2-inďŹuenced ballad "The Last Word"-but mired in the muck of a dirty mind and dirgy instrumentals to match. The band's CD release is Saturday, May 28, at the Croc.
All's fair in love and clubland: The War Room has definitely lived up to its name, making strategic moves since its recent opening (minus, say, incurring the bloodshed that moniker might imply). First the club pulled Yo, Son! from Neumo's and successfully planted it under its Shepherd Fairey-tagged walls. Now the club's hired Neumo's production manager Melissa Quayle to work as a marketing manager (Suthap Manivong will move into Quayle's old job June 1). And speaking of moving on up... Graceland's old assistant booker/after-hours DJ Franki Chan seems to have done well for himself since moving to L.A., ending up in the LA Weekly's society column for the popular regular DJ nights he does down south with Dim Mak label head/celebrity model's brother Steve Aoki. (The pair were mentioned for attending some hot-shit new club opening in Vegas).
Back in our local confines, though, there are a ton of offbeat shows this week for those not wanting to brave the gridlock of the holiday weekend. My picks: Coachwhips main man John Dwyer spins spooked-out, two-man folk delirium in OCS at Gallery 1412 on Wednesday, June 1, and Cold Crush artists/Chicago act Mahjongg bring their infectious punk funk/post punk to the intimate confines of the Rendezvous on Saturday, May 28 (see Stranger Suggests, page 19 for more on those shows). The Rendezvous night also features Bullion Brothers, a new band featuring members of Pretty Girls and Hint Hint. â
