Big Red Ants
https://bigredants.bandcamp.com/album/big-red-ants
CD release party: June 10th at M.A.S.S.
Doors at 8pm
Meach Pango at 9 pm
Big Red Ants at 10 pm
Sur Duda at 11 pm
$7
The new self-titled record from Big Red Ants is big and full of guitars and feels really great right out of the gate. It’s definitely heavily influenced by classic rock; it’s part arena rock, part jam band, a little bluesy, a little rough around the edges, but mostly it’s a tight package of alt anthems. The guitar solos are upfront and in-your-face. First song “On a Whim” offers a taste of what is to come: a ice-chest full of feel-good rock-and-roll tunes.
Big Red Ants hit a great stride and groove with “Where I Wanna Be” and its shaking 70’s power chord rock. They make a great stab at building a Skynnard style jam, complete with what’s gotta be a Les Paul blazing away. The guitars on this record are great–they approximate some of rock’s great classic tones, and along the way they find their own sound. It’s hard to listen to this band and not hear Moe. and Skynnard and AC/DC and Umphry’s McGee, all with a dash of Toadies, but somehow the melding of all these influences yields fresh fruit.
“Teenage Angst” is a cool tune. I dig the driving feel, and the drunken chorus harmonies pretty much make the song. Space develops, and dueling guitars create a fading image–there’s something sweet in the rear-view-mirror, and it hurts a little to drive away. This is probably the most vulnerable moment on the record. Here the Big Red Ants offer a glimpse of some of the deeper moods that are driving the band’s passion to create–definitely the emotional peak of the record.
Big Red Ants have a big sound, and all the tunes on their new record reinforce that. These songs have all the hallmarks of good, thumping live tunes, and the energy never wanes. These guys are all players, too. I love a good guitar solo, and I’ll admit I was pleased in that department. My favorite moments on this record are the big, go-for-it guitar solos, so if you’re into that sort of thing, dig into this record. Someone should hire this band for a kegger pool party! Goes great with Nolan Ryan Beef.
