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The Solid - Arrivals and Departures (Self-Release )
By Chris Barnes
August 5 2009
Ah, the lovely Clementine, late of the Stoner Rock sirens Bottom , has put together a new band called The Solid. They’re from right up the coast in San Francisco, about 300 miles north of the Hellride compound. The Soid features talented vocalist Brian Hagman (Black Lamb), SF-based guitarist Justin Caucutt, multi-instrumentalist/ bass player Greg Randolph from Frisco’s late, great Greenhouse Effect, and Clem herself tapping the bean cans.
Given the collective history of the band members, I’d expected The Solid’s 5 track EP Arrivals and Depatures to be more a homage to Homme than Hendrix. As is often the case, I had my expectations handed to me on a silver platter. Ah well, on reflection it isn’t a huge step for musicians of this caliber to sacrifice some distortion and bottom-end for the sake of a little boot-stompin’, toe-tappin’, booty-shakin’ rock n’ roll. Instead of Kyuss being the touchstone, The Solid recall bands like Humble Pie, Led Zep and more recently, The Four Horsemen…. but goosed with the AC/DC-isms of The Cult. In fact, singer Brian even recalls The Cult yelper Ian Astbury, with a little Frank C. Starr (RIP) and Bob Plant on the side. Yep, the boy can sing.
The combo of Clem and Randolph’s rhythm section go together like bacon n’ eggs, really propelling this band with a ‘solid’ foundation (heh) – check out Greg’s thudstick skills in the roof-raiser “Blues for the Rapture” – the guy is all over the fretboard but still manages to find his way back to Clem to anchor everything down. Guitar player and Riff Generator General Justin does a great job of riff n’ lick brewin’, from the rock n’ roll bluster of my favorite track, “The Rich Girl and the Ranch Hand” (very cool, slowed down, bee-u-tee-full passage midway through that really makes this song stick) to the pseudo-Stoner groove-stomp of “Hoop (Earring) (great group chorus here – ‘she just wanna dance, jingle janglin’ – I find myself humming this to myself when I’m packing orders) to the barn-burner that is “Hot Rocks (and Green Grass)” (which has another snappy, stick-in-the-craw chorus).
At the end of the day, if the songs rise to the top of my head after everything I’ve taken in during the course 16 or so hours of hard labor and bullshit, then I’m inclined to give credit where credit is due. Arrivals and Departures sticks and gets the repeat plays. Hopefully I’ll get to check out The Solid live on one of my biweekly visits to the city by the bay.
- http://www.hellridemusic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20511
Discography
Arrivals and Departures, 5-song EP
Photos
Bio
And from THE SOLID comes Arrivals and Departures, the debut 5-song EP which draws on influences such as The Cult, Zakk Wylde, Guns and Roses and all Solid Rock known thus far. The songs are heavy and melodic, with Brian Hagmans powerful vocal presence and image-rich lyrics creating truly captivating songs.
Drummer Clementine and Guitarist Justin Caucutt met on Halloween 2008. A founding member of the NYC stonerrock band BOTTOM, in recent years Clementine developed her craft in first San Franciscos AC/DSHE, and currently in ZEPPARELLA, the SF Zeppelin powerhouse. Looking to use this classic education in a new original project, she met Justin at a time when he was making a move from drumset to guitar. From Alaska via Denver, Justin drummed in BAKERS DOZEN for 10 years as well as being a sought- fter session player.
Justins classic riffs and Clementines heavy-footed drumming find the perfect match in Greg Randolphs bass playing. Multi-instrumentalist Randolph laid it down in stonerrock outfit GREENHOUSE EFFECT, as well as shredding guitar in GRISSOM. He adds his heavy melodic and rhythmic sense to both THE SOLID low end and the songwriting, and the trio has quickly solidified an albums worth of songs.
Brian Hagman has been Denvers prized heavy rock frontperson for 10 years in BLACK LAMB. Winning Denvers 2004 Westword Best of
award for Best Frontman, and Best Drone/Stoner Metal Band for the last three years, he brings his stellar power, lyrics and stage presence to THE SOLID.
Crooning like some three-headed clone of Ozzy Osbourne, Ian Astbury and Glenn Danzig, Hagman prances through a veritable minefield of thunder-conjuring, sludgeboogie riffs with a derangement that borders on outright bloodlust. Nothing short of a mushroom cloud could tear your eyes off Hagman's force-of-nature performance. Denver Westword
The Solid heads to the stage in July 2009, with dates through the end of the year on the West Coast. Keep an eye on this rising star.
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