Hailing from the Detroit area, the Index was comprised of three teenage members playing guitar, bass, and drums, respectively. The band opened for regional acts and played a mix of covers and original material at local parties. Eventually, the guitar player left for Yale, but continued to return home sporadically to play. This album was recorded on whim in a basement (my original guess was a warehouse, but I suppose that's close enough). I have previously described the record as sounding "like garage rock on Xanax" - a description I still stand by.
Aside from the music (which is great in its own way), the beauty of the album lies in its earnestness. These guys were not professional musicians or producers, and their record was clearly a labor of love. From the perspective of somebody who grew up playing in shitty garage bands, this has particular resonance. It's like listening to a rehearsal tape that inexplicably turned out fucking great.
I would suggest you track down the record, which contains spectacular covers of "Eight Miles High" by the Byrds, "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Supremes, and several originals. I have uploaded one of those originals, "Fire Eyes."
No comments:
Post a Comment