I grew up and currently live on Long Island. So when I heard that a local band will be appearing at Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee this summer, I got excited. I love hearing about local bands that make it big!
The local band is The Roast Beef Curtains (or RBC). When I got the album, one of my staff members told me what Roast Beef Curtains means and I got turned off. I didn’t want to like these guys, but when I listened to their album, Pleasure EP, I was pleasantly surprised.
RBC plays a cross between reggae, dub and punk, all my favorite types of music. The album has a strong reggae beat, uses instrumental mixes, and is hardcore heavy punk wrapped into one band!
For a band that self produced their album and has a total grass root effort, I am impressed. Their music has a good upbeat sound and some of the words are rather funny. Some of the lines I got a chuckle out of included:
• Rabbi David is in the Shower and it’s been an hour…
• You’re a really great person and don’t know it yet…
• I say my 5th Face girl like diet coke and glory holes…
• I bought these glasses without them I cannot see…
There are only five songs on the album, which are written by Roast Beef Curtains. The band consists of Andrew Gedacht, who plays guitar and vocals, John Carey, who plays bass and back up vocals, and drummer, Mike Celano. The band has been together since 2005 and all went to Hofstra University together.
What I liked about them is that you could hear each instrument. The sound doesn’t meld together like some bands. You can actually hear the drums, bass guitar and guitar and it is particularly clear on the song “Salty Vile Dub.” The song is a mixture of instruments and rhythms that are repetitive and put the listener into a happy trance. This is the only song on the album that doesn’t have words.
Thankfully, the songs don’t all sound the same. You’re Great, the first song, LIB, the second song, and Salty Vile Dub, the last song, have a distinct reggae beat. Rabbi David, the third song, is obviously a punk rock song. However, they all have dub influence.
What I don’t like is that every song has a sexual reference to them. Terms that I never even heard of I looked up and squealed. I’m a pretty straight person so I surprised to learn the meaning of many of the terms used in the songs. From the name of the band to the names of the songs and words within the songs, in my opinion it ruins it for these talented artists.
All in all, RBC has a good, solid sound. All three musicians are talented and sound great together. Some critics compare them to Sublime, but I think their sound is different.
According to their web site, www.TheRoastBeefCurtains.com, they have gigs throughout the Island, almost every week. This summer they will be catching their biggest break of their careers, performing at Bonnarroo. This new gig could make them or break them. Hopefully it will make them and they will be on their way to getting a real following. They are that talented that they deserve it.
This blog also appeared on Blogcritics.
