Rock and Roll Music: August 2004 Archives

Though Greatest Band of All Time does not condone plagiarism of any kind, I think that the following quote from a recent interview with McLusky does more to illuminate the true appeal of this band than any waxed poetic I could muster: "There are some albums out there that should be called The Pain of My Slender Cheekbones. It's just what they're about. I think some people just like wallowing in misery. Personally, I'm past puberty. I enjoyed that whole acne-ridden process, but I'd like to think we're in a better world now of regular showers, sound nutrition, still too much smoking."

Meet the great Welsh hope. Meet the greatest mid-90s band this century has yet to birth. Ladies and Gentlemen: McLusky.

Formed in Wales in 1998, McLusky debuted with the first of their many amazingly titled works, 2000's My Pain and Sadness is More Sad and Painfully Than Yours, with song titles like "whiteliberalonwhiteliberalaction," "Rock Vs. Single Parents," and "Friends Stoning Friends." Despite the band's deeply caustic core, a ton of apt Pixies comparisons followed only complicated by their choice to record My Pain's follow up with Steve Albini. But where the Pixies were college kids aping an abstract impression of aggression, McLusky intention never seems obscured. much more metallic, much more brutish, much more direct.

Besides that, the band's frontman (one Andrew Falkous) has a persona on record that measures alongside some of Rock's true curmudgeons, largely reminiscent of Steve Albini, with a touch of Mark E. Smith's self-righteousness. with a soft spot for smart men of terrible attitude, McLusky cracked my eggs on the strength of one song, whose refrain is rarely far from my head: "my love is bigger than your love."

With McLusky Do Dallas the band delivered their masterpiece, with two irresistible singles ("Lightsaber Cocksucking Blues" and "To Hell With Good Intentions"), and an albums worth of clever, sarcastic bile. this years follow-up, the more intentional, poppy The Difference Between You and Me Is That I'm Not On Fire, was something of a letdown, but as usual, delivered several haunting refrains ("Our Old Singer is a Sex Criminal," "Every where I go I want to travel by boogie board") that make the entire album worthwhile.

I'm convinced that if McLusky were from America, they'd be one of the biggest bands in the world. For now, the Greatest Band of All Time.