We’ve been big backers of Big Eyes for a good long while, going back to their debut 7-inch on Evil Weevil. Since they first released that collection of demos, the garage-pop trio has toured the country, released a slew of amazing split releases, and are now getting ready to release their second full-length LP on Grave Mistake Records, entitled Almost Famous. Frontwoman and guitarist Kate Eldridge spoke with us via e-mail about the new LP, touring, and more.
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Archives
Big Eyes, “Demo 2010” 7-inch (repress)
Grave Mistake Records recently reissued Big Eyes‘ demo 7-inch from 2010 as part of a co-release with Evil Weevil, who originally put it out. When Alex at Grave Mistake told me that it’d been recut and repressed at a different plant, I figured this was a good time to sit down and compare the two releases.
Demo 2010 (as I suppose the record is now known) has new art, new labels, and it’s also cut at 45 versus 33. Everything’s different, at least in terms of the physical appearance, but how does it sound? I’m one of those people who’s not going to buy a record I already own just because it’s got a new cover.
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Free music to soundtrack your holiday weekend
Before I step away from the computer for a glorious three days of over-indulging in sun, booze, and fire-cooked meats, I wanted to share some free tunes that’ve found their way onto the Internet over the past few days. There’s some good stuff for you to play while in the car, at the beach, or next to the grill.
First, we’ve got a bunch of new stuff from Evil Weevil. The record label’s got previews of six upcoming releases and artists, including perennial Rock Star Journalist faves the Hussy.
Although not a new track, this number from Cement Tomb Mind Control ought to further convince you to buy the LP, as well as whet your appetite for their upcoming single (singles, actually – they’ve got a couple coming out on Slovenly Records’ imprint Black Gladiator later this year, as well). More info about those releases, including tentative dates, is at the Evil Weevil blog.
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Big Eyes, “Demo” 7-inch
Big Eyes
Demo
(Evil Weevil)
From the opening sounds of Big Eyes‘ debut 7-inch, you know they grew up on classic rock. The band’s very name hearkens back to one of Cheap Trick’s best songs, and the record has that warm, big sound associated with great ’70s rock albums. The opening track, “Prefer to Be Left Alone” does the seemingly impossible task of reconciling arena rock with classic punk. Really: the short, choppy chords meld wonderfully with epic riffs to give Big Eye an aesthetic that could easily fit in a basement show, or blasting into an arena.
The high points in these four songs are big guitars, accompanied by a crisp and clear voice from lead singer Kate Eldridge (formerly of Cheeky). The low point? I wish the drums weren’t hidden so much on this record – I get the feeling that C.J. Frederick’s work on the skins is heavy enough to reach the cheap seats, but the recording’s a little too poorly mixed to tell (granted, it does sound pretty fantastic for a demo). We’ll know soon enough, as the band has a single due out from Don Giovanni later this month, with a full-length coming in February.