Cadillac Blindside

Read The Book, Seen The Movie (2000)

Brinepacer

The record industry claims MP3s are killing them, stealing their business and depriving the artists of their money. I first came across Cadillac Blindside by way of an MP3 for the song "A Touch Of Nostalgia". Mixing emo, grungish angst, and Dillinger Four style fuck-you-this-is-punk noise, this song sent me straight for my wallet. And how glad I am that I did, "Read the book…" is only missing one thing – A single bad song. From the opening emo-rock blast of "At Wit's End", to the somber, melancholic "This One's On Me", to the closing rock out of the exceptional (and brilliantly titled) "My Heart Pisses Blood For You", CB play with conviction and heart, totally devoid of pretence, consistently endearing and never excluding the listener. The lyrics are outstanding, ranging from melancholic laments to lost friends – "One more round my friend, further from you" ("This One's On Me") – to balls out rocking road stories – "In Chattanooga, Tennessee we drank until about nine, our top speed 45 was slow, the van's next victim was Sloan's right toe" ("Milemarker 92"). Singers Zachary Zrust and James Russell contrast each other in the way the Laurence Arms could only dream, and CD as a piece of art is first-class, stuffed with dark, brooding stills by M. Rezac and energetic live portraits by D. Monick. With this album only a debut, CB are definitely marking out a space for themselves as ones to watch. Get in early. Buy this CD.