Look into yourself for a moment, and think of what comes to mind at the mention of these names:
New Kids On The Block.
Michael Jackson.
David Hasselhoff.
What do they have in common? All rose to fame in America, icons of modern popular culture. All are a somewhat embarrassing reminder of America's musical past, but remain the objects of screaming, otherworldly adoration by adolescents abroad. These people are iconic victims of the tempestuous relationship between Americans and their music - or the "actor-turned-pop star" phenomenon in the case of Hasselhoff. This is the Tao of Big In Japan.
Working its way up from the floorboards, Big In Japan promises to break through the crowd and give those who never sold back their Green Day CDs something to live for again.
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The guys of Big In Japan look like the punk rock, thrift store cowboys I always had a crush on in high school. After hearing Destroy the New Rock I wanted to get in my car and drive to Nevada just so I could give Zac Damon, Corky (Conk!) Pigeon and Fuckin' Joey Travers a big, sloppy kiss. Big In Japan crafts songs that change from dark pop to punk rock at the drop of a hat, always with an undercurrent of cynicism and experience.
And the members deserve their talk of experience. Damon, Pigeon and Travers are no strangers to the plight of broken down vans, months spent on the road and the lack of rent money so many bands face when trying to make a name for themselves. Nor are they strangers to the workings of musical outfits. Travers, Pigeon and Damon are veterans of relatively obscure and long dead bands Zoinks! and The Gain. Zac Damon lent background guitar and vocal talent to Screeching Weasel on both the Major Label Debut EP and Television City Dream LP and plays bass guitar in fellow Reno band Crushstory.
Although I don't often enjoy it when lyrics rhyme like a Shel Silverstein poem set to melody, Big In Japan makes it work. Zac Damon has a vocal style delivered with a punch. When combined with Travers' rapid-fire bass lines and Pigeon's energetic, in-your-face drumming, Big In Japan kept me interested and entertained for all twelve tracks of the album.
Destroy begins with "Dig That Stupid Sound," keeping in line with the band's not-too-serious tone with lyrics such as "Stupid song / but don't it make you feel good / Find it hard to keep your feet / on the ground." The title track keeps the energy alive well into mid-album with a poppy call to arms against mainstream radio: "let's wage war in stereo / in the name of the old scenario / Show contempt in analog / the name of the brand new underdog."
Destroy the New Rock is a slap in the face at all pop-punk albums now on the radio. It rose out of the fires of frustration bent by members' previous bands remaining obscure for all the work they put out. This band is fighting for the underdogs of rock who live their lives for music and create amazing work only to remain unknown by the public. Although they are not currently touring, you can catch Zac Damon's other band, Crushstory, at the Launchpad on Friday with Mistletoe.
