For a true fan of heavy music, grooving on something that is not overly negative or intense or frenetic (or even that loud) is good therapy once in a while. Sometimes the sensory overload that comes with the non-stop influx of up and coming metal bands can only be cured by something that lives somewhere in the neighborhood of the straightforward rock arena, and not so… metal. But that doesn’t mean that the prescribed cure will lack passion. Not the case at all.
Enter Capital 2.
The recent (and belated) discovery of this band happened to me purely by accident. Metalboy and I attend so many shows in L.A. and Hollywood, that we overlap at times, and we don’t always talk about everything we see. Apparently, he’s attended a few Capital 2 performances, and here I was completely unaware of their existence. Doh!
Anyway, to get to the point, we were driving around in Huntington Beach, and I longed for something new and local. I searched through his car, through the multicolored piles of flyers and stickers and demo discs, and came up with a CD labeled Capital 2 – 3 songs… I liked the squirt gun on the cover, so I shrugged and slid the disc into the CD player and set the volume.
Upon hearing the first strains of track 1, “Fish Outta Water“, my muscles relaxed and my head began nodding along. By the end of the song, I had already memorized some of the lyrics and decided that the music felt good. A song called “Joyride” followed with choppy guitar lines and teasing bass riffs, and further cemented my ideas about Capital 2 being just what the doctor ordered.
Capital 2 has an laid back sound with vocals that seem effortless. In many cases, this element alone will please even the most discriminating rock connoisseur who seeks a no-stress approach to their music. The Capital 2 style is one that would welcome fans to show up wearing their most casual clothes, sun drenched skin while rocking.
By track 3, “Dig Yer Friends A Hole“, I was hearing the voices in my head comparing them to the likes of Hum, Failure, God Lives Underwater, Far, and Local H. Weird combinations I know, but being a fan of all of the aforementioned, I was convinced that I should own the full-length CD and try to catch their next live show.
Lucky me. The band is playing at the Roxy on June 27th. Check them out at the bands site.
Lesa Pence
– lesa@unearthed.com
