Gapers Block has ceased publication.

Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
 Thank you for your readership and contributions. 

TODAY

Thursday, March 28

Gapers Block
Search

Gapers Block on Facebook Gapers Block on Flickr Gapers Block on Twitter The Gapers Block Tumblr


Transmission
« Sublime with Rome at Northerly Island: Relaxing But Uninspiring Sofar Sounds Brings Intimate Musical Experiences to Chicago »

Album Fri Aug 21 2015

Barrence Whitfield and the Savages Pump Out Retro Blues-Punk

bwsavages.jpeg

Barrence Whitfield and the Savages sound just like their name; you'd be hard-pressed to find a more stereotypical soul-blues moniker than "Barrence," and the Savages who back him up play exactly the type of distorted, raucous riffs you'd expect. Putting the two together results in a band that makes like Marty McFly and pumps old-fashioned rock 'n roll into a high wattage garage-bred overdrive. The question is whether or not bringing The Sonics' style forward fifty years holds water in the present musical landscape. And though aspects of BW and the Savages' new album Under the Savage Sky feel dated, its energy is undeniable and timeless.

The band will be playing shows at Schubas and SPACE in early September, but I think Kingston Mines would have been their ideal venue; though they hail from Boston, their musical tastes lie firmly within the historical blues roots of Chicago. On songs like "The Wolf Pack" (a Kid Thomas cover), it's easy to visualize the Blues Brothers careening around the city with their ragtag band, and over the album's twelve tracks, a mix of original songs and fresh interpretations of old blues hits, Whitfield sings like the devil that supposedly possessed Robert Johnson and 1950s teeny boppers. His voice slides easily from a low, ZZ Top-esque drawl on "Willow," the album opener, to a characteristic soulful growl that fits the aesthetic like a glove. Lines like "It's no sin, my baby, to lose control" (from "Willow") and "I'm gonna leave these no-good women alone" (from "I'm a Good Man") pour forth from his chest with earnestness and aplomb; you never doubt that Whitfield means every single word he says.

That said, at times the lyrics seemed anachronistic and a little silly--on "Angry Hands," he uses the phrase "human punching ball," the most forced rhyme with "wall" I've ever heard. And on the whole, the blues genre hasn't aged well lyrically, caught between the dipoles of modern party anthems' focus on modern sex and drugs and the thoughtful songcraft represented by what we call indie music, so it can be hard to take Whitfield seriously. Yes, he's a blast from the past, but that has to be taken in full, both good and bad.

Then again, Barrence Whitfield and the Savages are first and foremost a throbbing ball of stage energy from whence no meaning can or should be derived, and as such they're at their best when Whitfield is letting out barbaric shrieks and the band is following up with deft solos. Under the Savage Sky is a particularly excellent showcase for the saxophone work of Tom Quartulli, who slashes his way through instrumental breakdowns like a maniacal brass demon. His solo on "Angry Hands" stands out as a fiery mass of avant-garde wails, depicting the fury of the song far more effectively than the aforementioned inane lyrics. Quartulli also shines as he holds down the punk-skiffle beat of "Bad News Perfume" and echoes Whitfield on "Full Moon in the Daylight Sky."

Quartulli and Whitfield bring the retro blues-soul, but guitarist Peter Greenberg brings the punk edge that has defined his style since his days with Boston-based garage outfits DMZ and The Lyres. Though his riffing with the Savages remains based in the rock-a-billy roots of Under the Savage Sky's songs, he introduces a lo-fi fuzz to the music that's reminiscent of the 1960s garage scene that introduced distortion to the rock sounds of the day. He drives "The Claw," a take on the 1950s dance move craze with a decidedly more sinister name and sound, and his work on "Rock n' Roll Baby" sounds like Chuck Berry had a fuzzbox delivered to him via Delorean.

Greenberg's most impressive work on the album, though, is also the least bombastic-- "Adjunct Street," which takes a break from the harder-pushing tone that begins to grow stale by the time "Katy Didn't" and "Incarceration Casserole" come up on the second half of the album. "Adjunct Street," despite its unusual name, falls just as short as the rest of the songs do lyrically, dragged down by the cliché "folks, they just don't understand," but Greenberg's tasteful fills and tremulous tone that calls forth Dick Dale more than atone for any verbal sins. He works especially well with the rhythm section, bassist Phil Lenker and drummer Andy Jody, as the three build a quiet intensity to accompany Whitfield's pained rasps and Quartulli's camouflaged contributions. It should be noted that Lenker and Jody are rock-solid throughout the entire album, most notably on the fast-paced "Bad News Perfume" and strutting "The Wolf Pack."

Barrence Whitfield and the Savages aren't going to make you think--in fact, if you think too hard about their music your head will start spinning from the virtual time travel--but they will entertain you. They bring the ferocious energy of a punk band to the swaggering and toe-tapping soul-blues of Little Richard, and with hellacious saxophone work, tight riffs, and Whitfield's blistering vocals, they put forward a solid throwback effort on Under the Savage Sky.

You can catch Barrence Whitfield and the Savages on September 2nd at Schubas and September 3rd at Evanston's SPACE.

 
GB store
GB store

Feature Thu Dec 31 2015

Our Final Transmission Days

By The Gapers Block Transmission Staff

Transmission staffers share their most cherished memories and moments while writing for Gapers Block.

Read this feature »

Blogroll

  Chicago Music Media

Alarm Magazine
BackStage
Big Rock Candy Mountain
Boxx Magazine
Brooklyn Vegan Chicago
Can You See The Sunset From The Southside
Chicago Reader Music
Chicagoist Arts & Events
ChicagoMusic.org
Chicago Music Guide
Chicago Singles Club
CHIRP
Country Music Chicago
Cream Team
Dark Jive
Daytrotter
The Deli Chicago
Jim DeRogatis
Do312
Fake Shore Drive
Gowhere Hip Hop
Gridface
The Hood Internet
Innerview
Jaded in Chicago
Largehearted Boy
Little White Earbuds
Live Fix Blog
Live Music Blog
Loud Loop Press
Oh My Rockness
Pop 'stache
Pitchfork
Pop Matters
Resident Advisor
Songs:Illinois
Sound Opinions
Sun-Times Music Blog
Theft Liable to Prosecution
Tribune Music
UR Chicago
Victim Of Time
WFMU's Beware of the Blog
Windy City Rock

  Venues:

Abbey Pub
Andy's Jazz Club
Aragon Ballroom
Auditorium Theatre
Beat Kitchen
B.L.U.E.S
Bottom Lounge
Buddy Guy's Legends
The Burlington
California Clipper
Concord Music Hall
Congress Theater
Constellation
Cubby Bear
Double Door
Elbo Room
Empty Bottle
FitzGerald's
Green Mill
The Hideout
Honky Tonk BBQ
House of Blues
Kingston Mines
Lincoln Hall
Logan Square Auditorium
Martyrs'
Mayne Stage
Metro
The Mutiny
Old Town School of Folk Music
Park West
The Promontory
Red Line Tap
Reggie's Rock Club & Music Joint
The Riviera
Rosa's
Schubas
Thalia Hall
The Shrine
Smartbar
Subterranean
Symphony Center
Tonic Room
Township
Uncommon Ground
The Vic
The Whistler

  Labels, Promoters
  & Shops:

Alligator Records
Atavistic
Beverly Records
Bloodshot Records
Dave's Records
Delmark Records
Drag City
Dusty Groove
Flameshovel Records
Groove Distribution
He Who Corrupts
Hozac
Jam Productions
Jazz Record Mart
Kranky Records
Laurie's Planet of Sound
Minty Fresh
Numero Group
mP Shows
Permanent Records
Reckless Records
Smog Veil Records
Southport & Northport Records
Thick Records
Thrill Jockey Records Touch & Go/Quarterstick Records
Victory Records

GB store

Events

Featured Series














 

Transmission on Flickr

Join the Transmission Flickr Pool.


About Transmission

Transmission is the music section of Gapers Block. It aims to highlight Chicago music in its many varied forms, as well as cover touring acts performing in the city. More...
Please see our submission guidelines.

Editor: Sarah Brooks, sarah@gapersblock.com
Transmission staff inbox: transmission@gapersblock.com

Archives

 

Transmission Flickr Pool
 Subscribe in a reader.

GB store

GB Store

GB Buttons $1.50

GB T-Shirt $12

I ✶ Chi T-Shirts $15