Sometimes starting a band isn’t about making it big. Sometimes you start a band because you really like to play music. Crazy concept, I know. That’s how I’ve long felt Bang Bang Jet Away approached songwriting.
The duo, comprised of two long-time San Diego musicians, has quietly been putting out some of the most thoughtful, well-crafted and delightful tunes of any San Diego band. There’s something super organic about the music, not least of which is because of the homespun feel of the recordings and instrumentation. These are recordings made to fit songs, not songs made to fit recordings.
My first introduction to Bang Bang Jet Away came nearly a decade ago, when I stumbled across the excellent tune “Like a Tiny Grasshopper,” on SoundCloud. The song is a retro gem that presaged some of the paisley-infused neo-psychedelia feel of early Foxygen.
But with each subsequent release, of which there are many scattered like rare trading cards across streaming platforms, Bang Bang Jet Away has added depth to its unique sonic tapestry, even while maintaining the homespun feel. There’s the sparse, ominous pondering of “Quotidian Barbarian,” the fleshed-out 90s indie rock of “You Slept With My Best Friend,” and the tinkling bravado of “Cocaine Company.”
It all recalls something I deeply miss about the pre-algorithm days of music: when a band’s catalog didn’t sound like the same song arranged for different keys.
Bang Bang Jet Away, “We Conquer The World”: Taken from last year’s EP, “Graves,” Bang Bang Jet Away’s “We Conquer The World,” hits you with a beautifully fuzzy wall of guitar sound. It has shades of Brian Jonestown Massacre’s early work if Anton Newcombe was capable of writing a more complex vocal line. Accompanied by a bustling bass line and singer Matt Binder’s charmingly snotty vocals, the track exudes an easy confidence. It’s a sing-along for a sunny Saturday morning.
Like what you hear? Check out Bang Bang Jet Away at Casbah on Saturday, July 20.
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