Big Eyes
Almost Famous
Grave Mistake Records
Street: 05.14
Big Eyes = The Hives + The Von Bondies
Apparently a Seattle band by way of New York, Big Eyes comes to bat with some serious rock pedigree. Made out of a fairly traditional three-piece, Big Eyes doesn’t do much to experiment with the formula, but they’ve got a solid sound that doesn’t wear out their welcome. More on the garage rock end of the spectrum, their one secret weapon comes in the form of their female vocalist, the husky-voiced and charismatic Kate Eldridge. The male-female balance in good rock is still heavily skewed towards the male persuasion, and it’s always refreshing to hear a new female vocalist on the scene. I also appreciate how catchy their songwriting is, particularly the songs "Being Unkind" and "A Matter of Time." These are toe-tapping songs, and damn do they make your toes tap. -Matt Brunk