July 17, 2001
Single Of The Week - ARE Weapons : Street Gang
They may be a 'magazine band' who favour style over substance, but they're still going to kick your heads in
ARE Weapons are three New York City dirtbags who date models, live on couches and hang out at swanky fashion parties so they can drink all the free beer. Led by a singer called Brain, they play chaotic gigs at art galleries where they like to fight their audience and roll around on the floor, knocking over the exhibits. Like their friends The Strokes, ARE Weapons are hugely retro and sound like they listen to influential art-punks Suicide's first album quite a lot. As part of the new wave of groups coming out of NYC, this lot are certainly the biggest chancers, but that's OK.
Their debut single, is an electro-punk anthem about becoming the streetfighting king of New York and, as such, is great. Over buzzing keyboards, big old basslines and a really nasty drum machine Brain sneers lines like, "I've got my blade/I've got my old lady" to great, grimy effect. The other two songs on this single are called 'Black Mercedes' and 'Saigon' and are similarly sleazy. They may be a 'magazine band' (see Gavin McInnes' column NME, July 7) who favour style over substance, but they're still going to kick your heads in. Do you want some?
Andy Capper
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