They're a Big Something, But What?
How do character-based narratives and free form jazz still manage to rock? Find out the big secret...
Burlington - Before you meet the guys in the band Big Something, you should probably meet “Pinky.”
Nick McDaniels, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the sextet, describes Pinky as, “part Robin Hood, part Clyde, part neighborhood pimp.” His roll in the band is undefined, but judging by how often his name appears on Big Something’s most recent album (2010’s Stories from the Middle of Nowhere), it’s clear that the fictional, swashbuckling cowboy in purple is something of a muse. No fewer than three songs tell his story.
Before you meet the guys in Big Something, you should also meet “Josh’s Disco.”
Though a less-defined character, Josh is still depicted in the album’s artwork. He holds a mandolin and wears a mirrorball on his neck a la the Headless Horseman. The similarities between Washington Irving’s character and mandolin player Joshua Kagel end there, however. The drawing is actually a marriage of Kagel and McDaniels, assuming one of them to be genetically pre-disposed to produce mirrorball-headed children.
The fantastic illustrations speak to the vibe of the Burlington band’s live show. The six friends bounce from idea to idea and genre to genre. If one had to pin them to a defined sound, they’d fall somewhere between rock and jazz.
“Half of our band is into old school 80s metal,” says McDaniels, “and the other half of our band is more free form jazz and improvisational type stuff.”
The album offers two very distinct styles that the Elon University graduate admits shouldn’t work on paper. There are a series of story-songs about Pinky’s exploits, waking up next to a girl whose name he can’t remember and a now shuttered bar they used to play in college. Then there are wild jazz/rock instrumentals that show their skill as musicians.
Big Something plays across North Carolina, and in cities within a day’s drive of home. Stories From the Middle of Nowhere is their first project as Big Something; they existed as the Anonymous Band for a few years. However the name “Anonymous” was already trademarked, and they’d grown up some since college, so they changed course.
“We sound completely different, there are a lot of new faces,” McDaniels said. “It’s definitely indicative of a fresh start.”
“It’s kinda hard to promote yourself when you’re in a band called Anonymous,” he added.
As McDaniels and lighting engineer Quinn Ray spoke to Magazine33, their enthusiasm for the trivial things that keep a band close was refreshing. Big Something doesn’t just travel to shows. Instead they climb into the Tahoe (which has it’s own theme song) and journey together. McDaniels was quick to discuss the artwork that adorns their trailer. An artist friend named Patches painted a skull on the front, and they’re considering asking him to recreate his “Pinky” drawings as well.
There were few serious moments during the 25-minute telephone conversation. The best responses came to questions about the more imaginative parts of the band’s act. McDaniels didn’t have much to say when asked what inspired “Pinky,” but laughed quietly as he described the purple pimp’s nemesis “Jose.”
“It’s actually a continuation of the Pinky story,” he said, “where Pinky escapes from jail and runs down into Mexico and runs into a Mexican bounty hunter named Jose.”
33: Does Pinky elude the villain, or does Pinky fall into his clutch?
NM: I think I’m going to have to leave that open-ended and say you’ll have to wait and see. He doesn’t go down without a fight, I’ll say that.
Jesse Hensley (guitar), Doug Marshall (bass), Hunter Gardner (drums), and Casey Cranford (saxophone) round out Big Something. In addition to the eleven tracks on Stories from the Middle of Nowhere, the band covers Talking Heads, Pink Floyd and Cake in their live set. McDaniels said they also have enough new music ready to begin a new album.
“This is the first time we tried writing stories,” he explained. “In the past, with Anonymous, the lyrics were a little more serious. Maybe not quite as lighthearted and fun. We wanted to try something a little larger than life.”
In March, look for them at the new Blind Tiger in Greensboro on the 4th, and at the Southland Ballroom in Raleigh on the 5th. They’ll also play at Brewballs in Burlington on March 18. Visit BigSomething.net for more details.
Big Something is part two of a series of articles letting local artists decide who is deserving of press coverage. Last month, Raleigh band Zegg recommended Big Something for March. Big Something has in turn recommended the Mantras for April.
Comments(2):
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Check out their CD!
Friday, March 04, 2011 Lee
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Check out their CD! Corrected link
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 Lee
