BNLX33

BNLX released #5, coming back to NYC (MP3 & dates)

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: BNLX – Burn the Boats (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: BNLX – Garbage Strike (MP3)

BNLX @ Rock Shop in February
BNLX

Enigmatic Minneapolis duo BNLX are coming back to NYC for two shows later this month: May 20 at Pianos and May 21 at The Rock Shop with Black Onassis, which is during NYC Popfest (their only scheduled shows at the moment). Maybe you caught them when they made their Big Apple debut back in February. I did and was pretty impressed/deafened: 

Volume isn’t just for punishment, though in the wrong hands it most certainly is. But sometimes you just can’t achieve that clarity of sound, that particular strain of feedback, that shriiiiiiinnnnng you get from flicking the strings above the headnut, that tone…without cranking the amp. Ed Ackerson, a 20-year veteran guitar slinger of such Minneapolis bands as 27 Various and Polara, knows what he’s doing. BNLX didn’t just blow eardrums, they kinda blew minds…

…for being just two of them and a laptop, they made quite a racket at the Rock Shop. Normally I’m one to complain about bands using canned backing instead of a real drummer, but vintage drum machine sounds — right out of 1987, be it Jesus & Mary Chain or Age of Chance — are kind of integral to what BNLX are doing. With a stroboscopic lightshow (what, no smoke machines?) you didn’t really need anyone else.

BNLX have continued their quarterly output with BNLX #5, another quality EP complete with an accompanying corporate-speak press release:

Our research indicates that the goal of providing the best possible BNLX experience will be better achieved through an ongoing effort. Pursuant to this, we are pleased to announce the BNLX First One Year Plan (extension one).

The BNLX EP #5 “music” product will be the centerpiece for our Q1 2011 activities. Four “music” compositions expressing Nordic, Gallic, Tri State, and West Coast idioms are contained on this product. Tracks one through three are original BNLX compositions based on authentic pop cultural memes, whilst track four is an interpretation of a beloved Californian folk composition.

You can download two tracks from BNLX #5 at the top of the post: the Zepplin-ish stomper “Burn the Boats,” and winking Morrissey homage/parody “Garbage Strike.” It’s also got an amazing cover of Ice Cube’s beloved Californian folk composition “It Was a Good Day” that is worth the purchase price alone.

There are more BNLX tracks to download over at their Facebook page. Hopefully they’ll have BNLX #6 at the merch booth by the time of these shows.