Honest I's - Anatomy Of A Lightbulb

Last week's episode of the Zygiella podcast featured a song that immediately caught my attention by a newer local band called Honest I's. The featured song was a powerhouse called Wristwatches, and what grabbed my attention was the raw power that the tune possessed. I really appreciated the way that the song covered a melodic range of emotions, while the vocalist's rough voice was spit out in a forceful gob-in-yer-face type of way. I figured that if the band could keep that energy going throughout the course of an album, then they'd certainly be worth my time. Well I guess I'll just have to wait for a complete full length, but I've listened to the EP entitled Anatomy Of Lightbulbs and it has definitely kept my interest high. Its originality lies in its ability to combine hardcore emotions with jazz rock ecelecticity and punk rock sensibility, all the while remaining far away from being pigeonholed into any of those genres. The band themselves likes to describe their sound as a sort of trance-blues, although the immediate point of comparison for me would be The Minutemen's Double Nickels On The Dime. This is high praise since I consider that to be one of the best and most original albums of all time. In much the same way, this EP gives off the impression that Honest I's have an interest in stretching musical boundaries, and it'll be interesting to see where that desire leads them when the time comes to release a full length debut.

Honest I's are playing PWYC Weds at Rancho Relaxo on Wednesday April 29th and I've heard that they are one of the most underrated live shows in the city. Let's change that, shall we? Also on the bill are The Ministry of the Environment and Airheart.

Download: Wristwatches mp3

Myspace: Honest I's
Above photo by Andrew Carver

Other stuff:
With all of the Ticketmaster shenanigans that have been surfacing recently, k-os has decided to pull a Radiohead, and introduce a name-your-price idea to the live stage. The entire story is over on Billboard.biz, but in a nutshell, for the current k-os tour, fans will have the opportunity to pay what they want after witnessing the show. Risky but interesting. k-os' latest album YES! was released on Tuesday. [Myspace: k-os]

Kevin Sheilds continues to dole out information concerning the future of My Bloody Valentine in tiny little increments, the latest of which is in Clash Magazine, indicating the possibility of adding another member. [Myspace: My Bloody Valentine]

Rolling Stone gives us "13 Things We Didn't Know" about Kings Of Leon. They play Air Canada Centre with The Walkmen on April 21st. [Myspace: Kings Of Leon]

Chart has an interview with Patrick Krief from Black Diamond Bay. They will be playing Sneaky Dee's on May 1st. [Myspace: Black Diamond Bay]

And finally, remember to support your local record store tomorrow (April 18th). I'm not sure how many RSD exclusives will be available here in Toronto, but Pitchfork's Douglas Wolk gives us the lowdown on some of the sweet rarities that he has come across. (A live Tom Waits 7" featuring a Leadbelly cover? Drool, drool...) [Official Site: Record Store Day]