29th Street Ballroom
Bastards Not Blues
RECEIVED Mon., June 15, 2015
Dear Editor,
Thanks to the Chronicle for the coverage of Heartless Bastards [“Restless One,” Music, June 12], one of my favorite bands. Their sound is original and highly distinctive. I've never missed a chance to see them play, from the first time I saw them open for Lucinda Williams at Stubb's long ago, and I have all their records.
Nothing against the blues, but they are not in any way "blues-rock" (as is said in the article). There are no blues phrasings, feel, or flavors in their music, period. The review of their new album also makes that mischaracterization, referring to "the psychedelic blues overload" of the first song. Many music fans with no interest in any form or permutation of blues would love the Heartless Bastards. And people looking for any kind of blues fix are not going to get it from seeing Heartless Bastards live or listening to their records.
The last sentence in Jim Caligiuri's record review got it right: "Wennerstrom's singular vocal style and the Bastards' multilayered guitars remain both lyrically commanding and musically transcendent." Chronicle writers should stop referring to the Bastards' music in any way as blues; that is misleading to people not familiar with their music, and a disservice to a great band.
Thanks to the Chronicle for the coverage of Heartless Bastards [“Restless One,” Music, June 12], one of my favorite bands. Their sound is original and highly distinctive. I've never missed a chance to see them play, from the first time I saw them open for Lucinda Williams at Stubb's long ago, and I have all their records.
Nothing against the blues, but they are not in any way "blues-rock" (as is said in the article). There are no blues phrasings, feel, or flavors in their music, period. The review of their new album also makes that mischaracterization, referring to "the psychedelic blues overload" of the first song. Many music fans with no interest in any form or permutation of blues would love the Heartless Bastards. And people looking for any kind of blues fix are not going to get it from seeing Heartless Bastards live or listening to their records.
The last sentence in Jim Caligiuri's record review got it right: "Wennerstrom's singular vocal style and the Bastards' multilayered guitars remain both lyrically commanding and musically transcendent." Chronicle writers should stop referring to the Bastards' music in any way as blues; that is misleading to people not familiar with their music, and a disservice to a great band.
Joe Dickie