Myspace: Rubbing Down Debbie
Rubbing Down Debbie is yet another band from Jacksonville, Florida. After writing about the Explicits awhile back, this is the second band to approach me asking if I'd do the same for them (Baker Act being the other). Something good must be happening down there, because Rubbing Down Debbie makes them three for three in my book as far as good unsigned bands go.
Rubbing Down Debbie is a little different than the two previous Jacksonville bands I've checked out. First, they've been together longer, having formed in 2003. They've also had some higher profile gigs, including playing with Exene Cervenka's Original Sinners. They seem to be more focused on getting signed and the professional angle of being in a band than their peers as well. Where the other two bands were intended to be taken at face value, Rubbing Down Debbie seems to have a bit of sexy shtick that reminds me of the Lunachicks.
They have four songs on their myspace page. The first, "Out of Darkness," seems to have come from a different mold than the other three. It has a bit more of a metal sound and it seems like they stretched themselves a little too far. Too much reliance on effects, flat vocals and a plodding, awkward chorus combine with poor production to make this a questionable effort at best. Luckily though, this song is the anomaly and they follow it with perhaps their best song, "Get Off." It's more of a punk song along the lines of early female-fronted LA punk bands. The vocals build from talking to tortured over an interesting rhythm driven by the bass line. The stripped down sound eliminates both the effects and production problems of its predecessor. "High Heels" is another simple punk effort, with great snotty vocals. It has moments where it goes a little flat, but all in all, it's a decent low-key change of pace that likely finds an important role on their album. Their final song, "Intrepid Fear," is another high-energy punk rock affair that falls only a hair shy of "Get Off."
Rubbing Down Debbie should be well on their way to finding a record deal. Their brand of punk rock isn't a huge field and they do it well when they stick to it. It's admirable that they tried to push their own boundaries, but they should be careful not to push too hard, too fast. Learning their limitations should allow them to capitalize on their strengths and find the best avenues for growth. In the meantime, their sexy, slightly gothy brand of punk rock should gain them a decent audience.
Rubbing Down Debbie has a self-released album available at CD Baby.
Rubbing Down Debbie is a little different than the two previous Jacksonville bands I've checked out. First, they've been together longer, having formed in 2003. They've also had some higher profile gigs, including playing with Exene Cervenka's Original Sinners. They seem to be more focused on getting signed and the professional angle of being in a band than their peers as well. Where the other two bands were intended to be taken at face value, Rubbing Down Debbie seems to have a bit of sexy shtick that reminds me of the Lunachicks.
They have four songs on their myspace page. The first, "Out of Darkness," seems to have come from a different mold than the other three. It has a bit more of a metal sound and it seems like they stretched themselves a little too far. Too much reliance on effects, flat vocals and a plodding, awkward chorus combine with poor production to make this a questionable effort at best. Luckily though, this song is the anomaly and they follow it with perhaps their best song, "Get Off." It's more of a punk song along the lines of early female-fronted LA punk bands. The vocals build from talking to tortured over an interesting rhythm driven by the bass line. The stripped down sound eliminates both the effects and production problems of its predecessor. "High Heels" is another simple punk effort, with great snotty vocals. It has moments where it goes a little flat, but all in all, it's a decent low-key change of pace that likely finds an important role on their album. Their final song, "Intrepid Fear," is another high-energy punk rock affair that falls only a hair shy of "Get Off."
Rubbing Down Debbie should be well on their way to finding a record deal. Their brand of punk rock isn't a huge field and they do it well when they stick to it. It's admirable that they tried to push their own boundaries, but they should be careful not to push too hard, too fast. Learning their limitations should allow them to capitalize on their strengths and find the best avenues for growth. In the meantime, their sexy, slightly gothy brand of punk rock should gain them a decent audience.
Rubbing Down Debbie has a self-released album available at CD Baby.
posted by bob_vinyl at 8:05 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home