MEandJOANCOLLINS

TLOS '09 Album of the Year contender: Love. Trust. Faith. Lust.

“From the couple times I’ve seen MEandJOANCOLLINS, I’m beginning to think they might be the best band from Boston right now … M&JC has a compelling package of music and charisma that’s hard to deny.” – Rob V, Cheap Thrills Boston.

MEandJOANCOLLINS [MySpace] deliver the goods. And I’ve seen ’em do it first hand, I wanna say, 10-15 times since 2007. A few years back, they “got married” at the Abbey Lounge (RIP) – this meant a faux drag wedding between co-gtr/vocalists Bo Barringer and Jen Grygiel with bassist Jim Collins (no relation) presiding over the ceremony. After Grygiel kissed the bride, they launched into a cover of VH1’s 12th Greatest Power Ballad. (The Crüe, if used properly, can make a cheap publicity stunt look like a stroke of genius). It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen happen in Somerville. Another highlight was their 2008 WBCN Rumble performance; I was shocked and horrified to see them bounced in the first round.

They're on their way. Just set them free. Home sweet home.

They emerged from the wreckage of Barringer’s ex-band, The Collisions, several years before The New Collisions (no relation) crashed head-on into Boston’s music scene. (I apologize if my puns are sometimes too subtile). Their sound is an accessible mix of garage, glam, and British popular music (Bowie, T. Rex, Pulp, the Velvets, the Zombies, Spoon, Of Montreal – you get the idea) with hand claps, sleazy boy/girl vocals, and face-melting riffage courtesy of Barringer (his guitar work is featured even more heavily in the band’s excellent new material – a looser, more expansive crop of tunes, many written by Grygiel). I’d call the rhythm section their “secret weapon” if it weren’t for the fact that Collins (Gene Dante, The Buckners, Paula Kelley, Eddie Japan) and drummer Jason Marchionna (Fluttr Effect) are household names to many on the scene.

Love. Trust. Faith. Lust., the band’s debut album, is one of the best discs of 2009 – local, national, or anywhere. Standout tracks include the unbelievably catchy “That’s Not What I Want,” modern breakup classic “Crime of the Century (So Far…),” breezy pop gem “Typical Asshole,” and brooding set closer “Strangest Thing.” Those tracks get an A+; the rest of the album gets an A.

MEandJOANCOLLINS celebrates Grygiel’s “dirty thirty” this Saturday, June 20, 11:00 p.m., at Allston’s Great Scott. The rest of the lineup ain’t bad either: The Main Drag (9:00), Ketman (10:00), Ho-Ag (midnight). So give the blogs a rest for a night and check out this great show. You really do need to get out of the house more. (People talking behind your back). 

Also, be sure to click the link labeled “The Crüe” in the second paragraph. It’s by far the best part of this post. 

MP3: Crime of the Century (So Far…)

CD Baby: Love. Trust. Faith. Lust.

Press: The Phoenix | Adequacy.net | RSL

Advertisement