The Blind Pets Get "Smashed" with Great Grunge Grooves

It's like the old saying goes... great music is hard to find. Alright, maybe that's not quite the saying, but the same sentiment can be implied. America's greatest grunge influenced breeding ground, more commonly known as Austin, TX, is the home to many of Exploding In Sound’s absolute favorite up-and-coming bands. The cities strong sense of the early 90’s Alt Nation scene remains intact inspiring a new generation of bands. The sound that first swept the country nearly twenty years ago has developed into a burgeoning underground movement in the last few years, despite popular trends and a lack of support from commercial radio. Enter The Blind Pets, a band who have fully embraced their grunge roots, infused them with infectious grooves, and may very well bleed pure rock n’ roll. On the band’s snarling 2009 debut album Smashed, the trio rip with angst filled fury, stoney riffs galore, catchy vocals, and guitar grooves so melodically contagious they could make Josh Homme blush. Their sound can best be described as a combination of Kyuss and Fu Manchu’s fuzzed out bliss, the raw punk attitude of Mudhoney, and the dark yet undeniably catchy menace of Texas’ own Toadies. Then throw in a healthy dose of influence from the aforementioned Homme’s Queens of the Stone Age, The Pixies, Nirvana, and the Stooges’ own brand of garage rock for extra goodness. The culmination of this sound is well rounded and truly something to behold, as The Blind Pets are more than ready to kick ass on their own terms. In a scene that is over saturated with bands, the music contained on Smashed will speak loudly for itself and with the proper word-of-mouth should catapult the band to national recognition.


The title track opens with the rustling of bottles before the roaring sonic assault of the band picks up full throttle. Lead singer/guitarist Joshua Logan’s voice is cool and casual as the band dive headfirst into their psychedelic tinged jams. The Blind Pet’s rhythm section, consisting of Dustin Hannah (bass) and John Dougherty (drums), stampede together with intensity, coupled with the buzzing guitars for a seriously energetic start. “Triumph” swirls with feedback and hard hitting cymbals, as the slow chaotic build grows. As the verse launches, listeners are introduced to Logan’s frantic yet hazy vocal tone overtop classic stoner guitar riffs and sludgy bass and drum acrobatics. The spirit of Austin is alive and well in the hearts of The Blind Pets, who prove throughout the album their true propensity for captivating grooves, blazing solos and monstrous fills. Their first single, “Fever,” unleashes the first glimpse into the grunge friendly catchiness that lies very prominently in the band’s vast array of musical ability. The jangly guitars fuse together with the head-rocking rhythm, as single notes are shaken into stunning vibrato waves and wah pedals are cranked way up to 10. Logan sings the opening line “She’s got the fever running through her head,” and with that the song sinks in like the most enjoyable fever you’ve ever experienced. The punk leanings of “Clinic” forge a sense of apocalyptic excitement as the guitars rage and thrash into Nirvana inspired frenzy before the dazzling solo draws closer to QOTSA with deep bluesy action that can only be described as… rifftastic.

“Downtown Girl,” returns to a relatively calmer state, but still pounds courtesy of Hannah’s Earth shaking bassline and Logan’s superb lyrics. Strong and clear vocal melodies lend themselves to simplistic lyrics such as, “I got a girl, yeah she don’t mess around, when she wants a new boyfriend… she goes downtown.” The catchy low end bounces with the punchy buzz saw guitars to provide one of the many songs on the record easily suited to be a 90’s radio hit. “Merchant & Consumer” burrows with a thick fuzz groove that bursts around the hypnotic rhythms. Logan puts his best Cobain meets Scott Hill inspired vocal delivery forward as he repeats the scathing hook. Psychedelic blues licks are drenched in overdrive as Dougherty excellently bashes with all his strength. “The Others” is a tripped out journey by the way of desert rock and good time grunge, powered primarily by the sun soaked guitar riff and vocal melody. There is an undeniably memorable quality to the whirling verses and the hard grooving punch of the hook. Dougherty plays like a man possessed, as he wails on the kick drum, cymbals, and snare with forceful precision. The chorus on “Buy Yourself” contains booming garage rock verses, as Logan shouts, “and I don’t want to talk about, don’t want to know about it, don’t want to hear about it,” in pure Stooges fashion. The band stomps in and out of their resonant grooves with raw stoner punk excitement.

“Know It All” and “Something to Touch” further the hypnotic intensity with stunning riffs, superb vocal melodies, and heavy charging hooks. The rhythm section continues to slam with confidence providing the structure for the dirty wailing blues guitar to explore. Frantic and fairly evil in tone, The Blind Pets rock so hard on their debut, I can only imagine what their live show is like. The band will be performing at several showcases during this year’s SXSW and I know that catching them will be a definite personal priority. The guitars on “Suicide” are reminiscent to the Toadies at times, with big wavering effects creating washes of elastic noise. The deep drumming rolls over all in its path during the bridge as Logan lays down a warping solo Kim Thayil can admire. “Lost Parade” storms with a fast tempo of swirling guitars and bass, spiraling in perfect unison with Dougherty’s drumming. Logan’s vocals are given a chance to shine as the intensity is momentarily dropped to a march when he sings, “better run when you see them coming, drop some bombs on your head, machine gun man I got your ground in ruins, for supply and demand,” before the roar of guitars rise back into control.


The crowning moment of the album very well may come at its finale, with the impeccable last track “The News” and its accompanying hidden track, “Tough Love”. The Zeppelin-esque stomp on “The News” is pushed forward from the opening vocals, “When I was a baby boy, my mother used to buy me toys,” as well as the blistering blues riff, and never looks back. The super fuzzed out guitars swell into a thick swampy blues flavor that buzzes over Dougherty’s alluring cymbal work and hyper pulsating rhythms. What is truly astounding though is the fact that the “secret” song “Tough Love,” is arguably the best track on the record. Opening with a long blast of feedback and cascading drums, the song warps together into a vicious grunge/blues masterpiece. The snare and lush bass tone draw immediate focus over the expansive wandering guitars that epically drift in the desert atmosphere. The vocals are at their very finest as Logan sings the outstretched opening line, “I am the mountain, you are the sea, and that’s you and me… yeah birds and bees. I get high sometimes… I feel low, I’m losing my head, I’m out of control.” His vocals shine brightly again during the bridge where he chases his falsetto of “hey now mama, wont you come around, I’ve got some news for you” with the grungy croon of “I ain’t talking no one night stand girl, I ain’t talking no rendezvous.” After leading back into the incredible thrust of the chorus the album freefalls into the massive, noisy, and most electrifying solo on the record. Logan’s playing sounds as though dripped from his soul as the guitar wails and moans through distorted licks and stunning feedback interplay. The Blind Pets are on to something big, nasty, and unapologetic, and the time to take notice has arrived. The 90’s may be gone, but the spirit of the music we all know and love remains strong. For all the influences shown throughout the near hour of music, they have managed to truly capture their own sound, borrowing from the past to make something new, exciting, and unique. The Blind Pets have delivered a debut album worthy of countless repeat listens, so show your support and embrace a phenomenal rock n’ roll album that quite simply… rocks.

"Fever":


"The Others":