Bad Brains

Bad Brains was one of the first punk bands I got into a little over a year ago, it's also the band that fans immediately refer to when questioned about diversity within punk culture. Ironically, the band objects to the title of "punk rock" being used to define their music, could've fooled me. They're most popular for their first album, released in 1982, "Bad Brains" (+ points for the creative name) which is considered a highly respected hard core album for a lot of punk vets. It's got everything: that big muff distortion, machine gun drumming, Sic McRay screaming like a mad man, the works. "I against I" and "Black Dots" are also pretty popular albums, "I against I" is one of my personal favorites, with songs like House of Suffering, Sacred Love, and of course, I against I.

Besides their music, Bad Brains is pretty well known for their line up changes, breakups and replacements happening frequently. The O.G. members, HR, Dr. Know, Darryl Jenifer, and Earl Hudson were together up until 1987 but reunited in the 2000s and released more music. Sid McRay, who joined in 1977, was their punk pioneer, changing their sound entirely and even changing their name from the original "Mind Power" to an homage towards the Ramones song, "Bad Brain". Regardless, McRay left shortly after and in 1980 they relocated to New York.

My favorite thing about this band is HR's sheer range of sound and pitch. I've often mixed hm up with McRay when listening on shuffle, he manages to sound different in almost every album. In build a Nation, their 2002 album, he's got this nasal tone that sounds almost kind of Prince inspired- ie. Universal Peace or Roll On. The song She's Calling You, released 17 years later in "I against I" is insane- he sings up HIGH. In their more reggae geared albums, such as "God of Love" he accesses this gravelly register, sounding more primal than anything else. This is doubtlessly what inspired Korn's ad-libbing in songs like Freak on a Leash- just listen to Long Time. 

The most underrated Bad Brains song, in my opinion, is The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth - Aldubb Remix. It's totally different from their popular sound, and not even punk, but this is my blog and I do what I want. It's trippy, like most reggae, but a tad experimental, with little synth-esque noises and reverb beats accompanying the percussion. It gets really weird 2 minutes and 30 seconds in, with alien style sounding keyboard, warped vocals (if they can be considered vocals), and a trilling drum sound that sounds like something you would hear in the Amazon Rainforest. I definitely recommend.

Stay loud (=