Beitthemeans does Southern rock proud
Photo courtesy Triple Crown Artists
Beitthemeans finds themselves, as one often does, standing around in an old junkyard out in the middle of nowhere. How this relates to them as artists; we may never know, but their album impressed.
Tired of the current trend of emo-infused corporate rock? Looking for one of the best rock-and-roll songs ever recorded? Then check out Beitthemeans (pronounced “be it the means”), a punk rock group hailing from Alabama.
The beginnings of the group were in a band called Jo-Jo Head, which formed when guitarist/vocalist Josh Jones approached bassist Casey Wilson at a funeral about starting a band. The lineup of Beitthemeans was solidified in 2002 when guitarist/vocalist Jeff Hendon and drummer Nathan Kelley saw Jo-Jo Head playing a show and asked the two to join their band.
The group’s sound is very unique when compared to other up-and-coming bands. They can just as easily be compared with contemporary retro-rockers like Jet as they can be with aggressive country groups like Van Zant and even the holy grail of southern rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Although the musicians are competent with their instruments, none stand out especially. This could be the reason that, unlike Skynyrd and other Southern rockers, Beitthemeans tends to shy away from the seemingly mandatory guitar solos of this genre. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it helps maintain the group’s energy.
The most extraordinary thing about the group is the vocals. The tone of Hendon’s raspy, hard-edged, weathered voice is perfectly suited to this type of music. It’s as if he can concentrate all of his anger and angst and project it out of his mouth.
The band honed their skills together for two years before recording their debut album, Shotgun Radio, in 2004. The record was produced by Daniel Farris at Birmingham’s Denial Labs and self-released. The album was recently re-released with four bonus tracks.
Radio is a very mature album for a group so young, featuring a wide range of musical styles. The band is known best for its hard, gritty rock songs like “Blown Up Doll” and “Devil’s Rope” but is also versatile enough to record a respectable ballad in Mine. They even took a shot at recording a radio-friendly tune and were successful with the upbeat and singable “Polly Graph.” The band’s strength lies in that it can take a simple song and distill it down to its elements, making it spectacular in the process.
The best song on the record is easily “Cain & Abel,” an in-your-face track that begins with Hendon shouting, “Squeeze my trigger,” before exploding into one of the best rock songs I’ve ever heard. This song is great, not because of its magnificent production, amazing instrumentals or inspiring vocals, but because it is simple and in-your-face.
I feel confident that any band with slight skill could play this song. It is Hendon’s vocals and the energy with which it is presented that make it awesome. The same can be said of almost all the songs on the record.
The quality of the album alone makes it worth picking up, but with the extra tracks on the re-release, the album rings in at over 73 minutes and 17 songs. At $12.00, that’s not a lot of money to pay for a lot of great music. Even if you don’t like this type of music, pick it up. You may find yourself banging your head and stomping your foot.
