Who says you need bass, drums and guitar to make music? Everyday we find more and more bands prepared to follow the lead of The White Stripes, and break with conventional wisdom about what it takes to form a rock band, whilst at the same time providing a potent sound to destroy our hearing.
Garage rockers Deep Vally are one such band. The girls from California don’t need a bass or a second guitar. They’ve come all the way from the States to present their new LP Femejism which will be released on the 16th September.
I didn’t know much about this band before the gig, but I was encouraged to go along to see them, after reading good reviews of their first album Sistrionix, and they don’t disappoint.
Lindsey and Julie can rev up a packed room all by themselves with their sound and their “I don’t give a shit” feminist attitude. They dominate like two junkies who make way too much noise.
With catchy riffs and solid drums, they start off with their first single from Sistrionix ‘Gonna Make My Own Money’. It takes us back to the 60s when music was less elaborate, the sound precise and direct to the vein. With Lie and End of the World, also from the first album, we find ourselves submerged and wrapped in a dark and strident ‘noise’, as if hypnotised.
With the energetic drum of Bad For My Body there’s no room for lethargy and they make us jump and sweat, and get us back into pit for Baby I Call Hell. Lindsey, at the mic with her guitar, drops her instrument and launches herself on to the crowd, returning to the stage to the unabating rhythm laid down by Julie.
With the first half of the concert almost over, the girls introduce us to material from their second album: Femejism, Royal Jelly and Smile More. There are bluesy chords, perhaps a little darker but always very sweet. Again they return us to the 60s with Little Baby Beauty Queen, with its catchy chorus. They leave us with Walk of Shame, again from the first album, to make us dance one last time. Lindsey’s voice has a slovenly touch that fits perfectly with the music.
I have to admit I’m not a fan of feminist bands, including ones from this generation, but I return home with a rare feeling in my body… fuck! They were really good and I recommend that you go and see them, you can be sure you wont leave feeling indifferent.
They’ll be back in London on the 16th September at Islington Assembly Hall.
Deap Vally, Boston Music Room, London, July 28th 2016
I LOVE that lead photograph!