BS Band of the Summer: Fight Like Apes

Summer rocks! It’s always a great time for kickin’ beats and sunny rhymes. Now that it is over it is time to look back and name the Big Sexy band of the Summer. You guessed it from the title… it’s Fight Like Apes. I had never heard of Fight Like Apes before my good friend Eddie Argos of Art Brut tweeted that he liked their new album, The Body of Christ and the Legs of Tina Turner, so much that he wanted to bring his ipod into the shower.

I figured if Eddie liked them that much, they are at least worth a listen, so I clicked over to Youtube to see what I could find. I was hooked right away. They have a pounding pop-punk style with a female singer, MayKay, who sounds kind of like a scratchy-voiced Katy Perry but she sounds very passionate about her subject. Passion from a lead singer is a big plus for me. I wouldn’t compare her to Katy Perry though. She is more along the lines of Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but with more expression.

FLA is from Ireland. Apparently, they are kind of a big thing over there, named the 4th best Irish act of their generation. I don’t know who the top 3 are. I can think of 2 other Irish bands but I would consider them from earlier generations. U2 takes me to my college years. Snow Patrol to my foolish 30’s.

The punk-y songs are matched with a lot more synthesizer than you would think sounds good. I don’t think they have a lead guitar. It is synch, bass and drums. It works here. Most of the songs are either upbeat or angry. The band has a sense of humor in both song titles and lyrical content. Their first album, released in 2009, was named ‘Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion’. It kicks off hot with Something Global, seen here…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKXzBUAUPto

Most of the noteworthy tracks on this album are loaded at the front of the album. It’s seems like they had some extra wax to fill. The quick thrash song Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues is the only notable song on a forgettable second half. It’s a cover song from a band I’ve never heard of.

Their 2011 release is much more concise and actually has more great songs. There are too many good songs to list. Here is one of my faves, Jenny Kelly. http://www.youtube.com/user/fightlikeapesmusic#p/a/u/2/8IQUxXvnZ88

Fight Like Apes also prove they can slow it down and put out a pretty song Thank God You Weren’t Thirsty. The song does evolve into some screaming later, but it will end up on my top Cool Out songs of 2011 list at the end of the year.

Ok... one more link - Hoo Ha Henry. I love this song. Maximum told me once when listening to it, that he feels sorry for the guy she's singing to in this. http://www.youtube.com/user/fightlikeapesmusic#p/u/5/UO1cVBEutc8 . I don't like this video nearly as much as I love the song. The video focuses too much on the inability to express feelings and not the passionate way MayKay wants to be with anyone else then Henry.

Legs of Tina Turner is a much more complete album and will definitely end up with a BS award at the end of the year.