Nashville-based indie band Bully is bringing back grunge and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
It’s so so so refreshing to have a band that kicks it old school. Do you see the irony there? Don’t get me wrong, I love the new, alternative electro-genres of alt-J, Glass Animals, Purity Ring and many others. But, I’m getting a little tired of experimental music. All you really need in this world is an angry singer and a killer guitarist, amirite? We are in the era of live mixing and technobeats. Garage bands, who have nothing but instruments and mics, are what this generation needs. Without being derivative, Bully is reinstating this old style of music (yes, 1990 was 25 years ago so I can call it old). They take their personal stories and express them with the frustration and rebellion of the 90s grunge era.
If you’re not sure what I mean, check out this in studio:
When I first heard “I Remember”, those 2 minutes of raw emotion hit me to my core. It’s one of those songs that makes you stop what you’re doing and just listen. “I Remember” sounds like a letter you wrote to your ex, which you tore up and set on fire because that felt like a reasonable course of action at the time. However, bitterness is not the base of the this song. I would say it’s an honest acknowledgement of the mistakes of our youth.
Now for a little background. Frontwoman Alicia Bognanno is a Minnesota native who graduated from MTSU with a degree in audio engineering. After working in the industry for while, she decided to start her own band in 2013. Bully became a four person group, and though they are still in their honeymoon phase, I have high expectations for them.
Here’s their first single, released April 2014:
http://http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq3rNIYUwU0
“Milkman” was a strong start for the band. They followed this success with their debut album Feels Like, released just last summer. “Trying” is probably my favorite track.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7LLBBGOfKY
In the past, Bully opened for bands such as Best Coast and Those Darlins. Since then, they have begun to build their own fan base. After witnessing an average performance by Best Coast at Exit/In last month, I would not be surprised if Bully surpassed their former headliners.
After touring Europe and Australia, Bully will be back in the states in 2016. On January 22nd, they have a show at the Basement East in Nashville. I’m looking forward to a high-energy show reminiscent of early Nirvana. I know, I know, that’s a impossibly tall order for anyone, but I’m an optimist. Besides, they’ve already got the blond singer who can scream through a set.
You have three months before the Nashville show to fall in love with Bully. Ready? Go.