Head Wound City

Head Wound City (2005)

CherryColaRain

Like nails singing on a chalkboard.

This is how its very own label refers to the sonic madness that is Head Wound City. Made up of Jordan Blilie and Cody Votolato from the Blood Brothers, Nick Zinner from Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Justin Pearson and Gabe Serbian from the Locust, you immediately know this band is gonna be one hell of a ride.

It's extremely difficult to describe the band's music, but here's a good try: Imagine the elements that make the Blood Brothers still be considered a hardcore band instead of an experimental one, mixed in with the acid-punk madness of the Locust, though including both the Locust and Blood Brothers' strange yet dancey tunes and rythms, nicely dotted here and there with some Yeah Yeah Yeahs influences.

The songs on the CD are incredibly short, most not reaching even the one-minute count. Yet Head Wound City makes this work just as easily as the Locust does. Small songs, but with so much energy in them they could easily light a room on fire. In my opinion, the song that describes most of the album perfectly is "I'm a Taxidermist, I'll Stuff Anything." Fast yet timed drumming, spastic guitar work, with Jordan's screeches blasting out the speakers.

On a curious note, Jordan's screaming partner in the Blood Brothers, Johnny, also started his own side project, known as Neon Blonde. The way I see it is that, while Johnny took the dancable side of the Blood Bros. over to Neon Blonde, Jordan took their madness and hardcore influences over to Head Wound City.

An amazing effort by the Brothers' frontman and Co. It will never compare to what Johnny and Jordan can do together, but it sure is a good way to wait to see what the Bros. will lash out next.