As overused and abused as the word is, I’m going to go ahead and use it: GENIUS. BEDM frontman Jonny Ragel is one of the most talented artists forging his way through P-town these days. And please – don’t let the name, “Boy Eats Drum Machine” throw you off, quickly mistaking it for an emo rock knock-off or a techno beat factory. Much like their local buddies, Menomena, BEDM is like nothing you’ve heard before and might be the biggest, most dynamic sound you’ll ever discover in a trio.
Actually, BEDM has recently evolved to a one man affair, but for the sake of this review, we won’t travel down that road too far. Just trust me on this: whatever Mr. Ragel puts his mind and talent to will produce something unique, trendsetting, and is guaranteed to make you get up and dance.
Go to iTunes or the Myspace page and explore samples of the pioneering 2006 release, Pleasure. This record is both innovative and brilliant. From beginning to the end, this record supplies delicious hooks (ie: “Let’s Get Lost Sometime”), danceable beats, and simple, sometimes punchy guitar ballads that make you wonder why in the hell these guys haven’t been featured in Rolling Stone yet.
And as good as Pleasure and their 2007 follow-up, Two Ghosts, are…there is nothing quite like seeing BEDM live. On stage Jonny owns the x-factor that industry insiders talk about. Surrounded by an arsenal of instruments (electric and acoustic guitar, turntable, mixer, saxophone, floor tom, tambourine, cow bell, and more) he commands an undeniable stage presence – reinforced with a spot-on falsetto, fascinating turn-table work, and non-stop dancing. The kid can get down!
Now I’m well aware that I’m going a little over the top here…lacking an objective dig to bring BEDM back down to reality. But for a moment…think about this. Maybe BEDM really IS that good.
You can find out for yourself on Sunday, May 11th at Berbati’s Pan in downtown Portland where BEDM is performing at the Tender Loving Empire’s all ages par-tae.
3000FLARES (Two Ghosts – 2007)
This is a video of a live show I had the pleasure of being at, about a year or so ago at the good old Satyricon in Portland – performing “Sixcuse Me”:
Check out Boy Eats Drum Machine at:
+ www.myspace.com/boyeatsdrummachine
Note: An earlier version of this review was originally published on NadaMucho.com by yours truly.
