Stories Of Our Cities

Longtime local artist Tommy Strange delivers top notch basic power rock, a la mid 80’s Homestead Records bands like Volcano Suns, Dinosaur Jr, Antietam, Big Black, Songs of the South, Phantom Tollbooth. Built around good crunchy guitar and bass, solid drums. Lots of open major chords, strumming, melodic ballsy basslines. But what makes this guy’s bands is his vocals: shades of whiskey drenched Shane McGowen or some such, a burly guy with a broken nose buying rounds of shots, a voice so unique I immediately recognized it from his previous band “Songs For Emma”. The songwriting is powerful: poetic tales, the images he evokes, and very “local”, stalwart Mission Dist musician and resident insights. Most songs rely on simple open chords, basic structure and differ by tone and lyrics. Choose any really or cut to the last one.

1)* (2:33) upbeat rockin “a memory dropped out of my pocket, its not a tear down my collar” 2) (2:29) upbeat still rockin 3)* (2:33) open chords and melodic basslines, “stories of our cities” 3)* (2:55) nice bass line leads this waltzy slower triplet, allows the drama of the vocals/lyrics to shine even more, excellent 4) (2:23) more good tales 5)* (3:34) more driving, themes of the quagmire in Iraq appear 6)* (2:26) theme of tenants’ evictions belie the upbeat chords and feel 7)* (2:37) another with themes of civilian victims, “white phosphorus”, middle east war, politics 8) (3:42) more laid back feel to the music, lyrics about travel, sounds like Nevada 9) (2:43) simple upbeat “thugs on the street” 10)* (2:34) more of a discordant feel, references to local issues, Mission District 11)* (2:51) more of a pounding chord feel but then open stuff, “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by dreams cuz they danced with the bourgeoisie” – describes my ex-drummer/artist good friend who died piss poor from bipolar schizophrenia amidst all the trust fund Mission District “ar-teests” enjoying their art openings. And….his name was Joe (“Yuma” Joe Byrnes, r.i.p. brother)