NEWS/NOISE NOISE
DOWN AND DIRTY
Cameraman kitteh: “We’re lol-ing.”
Portland’s Quick and Easy Boys bring the party to Boise
I CAN HAS COLORBRAWL?
ANDREW CRISP Portland, Ore.-based trio the Quick and Easy Boys might not want to be called a jam band, but if the shoe fits ... Touring behind their second album, 2010’s Red Light Rabbit (2010, Per Capita Records)—their first pushed by a label—the guys are staples of the So-Po district of their home base and are spreading their genrebending funk across the West. With their war cry of “Yeah, bud!” QEB are all about The Quick and Easy Boys are on the fast track to a slow jam. getting the audience groovin’. “We started the band when we were all Success isn’t always about selling a of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, complete going to school in Eugene. The idea was lot of records or getting a song picked with Flea’s funky bass line and Anthony that we would do whatever we wanted for a commercial. With word of mouth Kiedis’ chanting vocals. In the title track, to musically,” bassist Sean Badders said. and networking, QEB has built a solid Russell lends his powerful picking to fre“We’ve been a very DIY band.” following in the thousands. Self-promotion netic surfer rock chords. Along with Badders is guitarist Jimmy has meant sticking true to what music is all “We can be the rock ’n’ roll band but Russell and Michael Goetz on drums. The about for them. have the freedom to change from song to band formed in Eugene in 2005 and from “We’ve always known that the music song ... to play everything under the wide there, they took on Portland, building a industry and the big labels are ... all just umbrella of rock,” said Badders. solid fan base in the jam band scene. In a big joke. While it sounds like a fantasy “Daggers,” the final track on Red 2008 they released Bad Decisions with to have somebody give you $10 million Light Rabbit, is less Chili Peppers and Good People on their own, and in 2009 and say, ‘OK, go make an album,’ there’s they set out on their first tour of the United more Tom Waits. Strumming a bourbon all this other garbage you have to go barroom baseline, a twanging guitar States. Their continually growing fan base through,” Badders said. “All of the sudden reprisal fades in mid-song but ends the is due, in no small part, to energetic live hard-hitting album aggressively. It serves as they have this huge break. All of the sudden performances, which Boise audiences will they have this song on a commercial. You a perfect counter-balance to an otherwise get a chance to experience on Friday, Jan. could be great. You have this opportunity. It upbeat, up-tempo album. 28, when the band performs at Liquid. QEB’s style isn’t always well understood. doesn’t automatically translate into success “We don’t necessarily consider ourselves Badders admitted that some reviewers think by any means.” a jam band. We like the ability to go into a Instead, the boys prefer being in tune it’s too ungrounded, but that assessment jam if we want to but retain that pop style with their fan base and networking with felfails to take the power of a live perforformat,” said Badders. low musicians on every stop on a tour. mance into account. According to Badders, Growing up, each of the members was “It’s all just community ... The hippie the interaction with the audience is what’s drawn to a variety of music, with 311’s important: playing something they can con- community and the punk community are Chad Sexton and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmvery different, but they’re both communities nect to, regardless of its pre-defined genre. our as strong influences. that are very close-knit,” said Badders. “We’ve had reviews where somebody “Ska and punk music, that was the stuff Badders also talked about what would say it’s so that really got me social networking is doing for bands, all over the place. I excited and upbeat including Foursquare and Twitter, and guess there’s some about music,” BadFriday, Jan 28, 9 p.m., FREE. how those tools are making it easier for truth to that,” said ders said. “At the LIQUID self-promotion—and what it means to interBadders. “But there’s same time, I was dis405 S. Eighth St. also something about act with fans. covering my dad’s old 208-287-5379 “Somebody types ‘having a great time what the listener music collection.” liquidboise.com right now.’ Somebody else can check it out wants to see.” For QEB, playThe Quick & Easy Boys also play in Ketchum online ... or if somebody is in the area, they He also thinks ing music was all on Wednesday, Jan. 26, and during the Winter can come by and check it out as something they’ve focused about exploring their Carnival in McCall on Saturday, Jan. 29. For more information, visit to do,” Badders said. on what people favorite bands, not thequickandeasyboys.com. There’s always face-to-face networking, like to listen to and just trying to emulate too. In clubs like Liquid, QEB can grab a that has helped craft a specific sound or beer with their fans. Badders enjoys that their style. genre. Channeling there’s a lot of room to meet new people “We’d be playing for like three hours— their diverse influences, there are underfour hours in some cases—and people might after shows. tones of spaghetti-Western folk, machina “After we play, there’ll be an after-party not like it,” he said. “[It was] ‘How are we distortion and Zeppelin-style takes on the or something and [we’ll] stay up until going to get people interested? How are we blues. Red Light Rabbit’s “Foster, I ...” is morning,” he said. going to get people to have a good time?’” instantly reminiscent of the tube-sock days WWW. B OISEWEEKLY.C O M
Indie bands have long partnered with music blogs—Pitchfork, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan—to exclusively release new videos. But last week marked the dawn of a new era in cross-promotion: Hazy surf rock trio Best Coast linked paws with Lolcat pioneers I Can Has Cheezburger to premiere its new video “Crazy For You.” The video’s aesthetic is one-part subtitled French New Wave film and one-part Milo and Otis cute-tastrophe. Sitting in a chair labeled “Teh Director,” a cat in a button-up shirt and tie yells “Cut,” while Best Coast frontwoman Bethany Cosentino strums a guitar in a summery jumper. Yet somehow, through all the purposeful misspellings and kittens operating heavy machinery, Best Coast’s new video holds its head high—then politely asks for a cheezburger. Find a link to the video at boiseweekly.com on Cobweb. In equally colorful news, Boise’s newest all-ages venue Colorcube will host its official grand opening blowout this weekend at its space at 1718 Main St. The lineup for Thursday, Jan. 27, includes free performances by Desirae Bronson and Boise Rock School bands No Preservatives and Preemptive Breakdown. On Friday, Jan. 28, Colorcube will host Jr. Rocket Scientist, A Seasonal Disguise, Isaac McRoberts and Katie Wilson Henbest. And on Saturday, Jan. 29, you can check out Dedicated Servers, Mousy Brown, Bridgeport, Spondee and Owlright. All shows start at 7 p.m. and both the Friday and Saturday concerts cost $5 each. Speaking of all-ages shows, Brawl Studios is putting together the inaugural fourday Boise Hard-core/Metal Fest. The event will feature local, regional and touring bands and is slated to run Wednesday, March 30, through Saturday, April 2, at Mardi Gras. In addition, local hard-core band Brawl, fronted by Brawl Studios’ Eric Muniz, will release its new EP, The Bitter End on Tuesday, Feb. 1. Brawl also has a 7-inch vinyl titled Punishment slated to come out on Tuesday, March 1. For more info on Brawl, visit myspace.com/brawlmetalcore. —Tara Morgan
BOISEweekly | JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2011 | 19