Need to Know: Boy Gorilla, part 1

Consider this a primer on one of the most exciting arenas in local music. True, pretty much all the people involved with the indie label known as Boy Gorilla have moved away from Salem, mostly to Portland, but their parents still live here and they play our fair town with some regularity. In fact, in April when Boy Gorilla was celebrating its 2nd birthday party the epic show was held at the Ike Box.

There's a lot to cover as far as Boy Gorilla bands. The label was essentially started to facilitate the release of Typhoon's first album. Their self titled, self produced full length debut is the first recording released under the Boy Gorilla imprint. If you've seen them live, and you really should, you know Typhoon is a really large act. The actually lineup has evolved somewhat through time, but there's a stable core of about 9 band members. That number can balloon to upwards of 13 on stage when the stars are right.

They sound, well, they sound absolutely brilliant. Their epic size translates to an epic sound when they want it to. There's a certain fascination with archaic forms in the song writing. They've written and recorded a number of "sea shanties". The lyrics of the first song on the CD are entirely in Latin which evokes the chanted nature of medieval chamber choirs. One of my favorite songs is simply called "Gypsy Song" and lives up to the billing with passionate fiddle work. As the band moves from song to song they swap out various instruments to achieve a certain sound. Here's an accordion, next we'll need some banjo, we've brought in someone to play a saw on this one, and don't forget the ship's bell for the big finish! Here's an example of Typhoon at their best from a show in Port Townsend, WA last summer:



Next we should talk about the Black Black Black. This loud and aggressive rock trio is actually a subset of the members of Typhoon: Kyle Morton, Devin Gallagher and Dave Hall. It is also one of the oldest bands under the Boy Gorilla umbrella. They've got a very distinct sound and their own separate following. They're playing at the Ike Box coming up on May 31st and I'd urge you to check them out. Here's a video of them in action:



Next in line would be Ghosties. This band is actually the brainchild of Devin Gallagher of Typhoon and the Black Black Black. So far he's produced a number of CDs as a solo effort, writing and recording himself on every instrument. There is also a Ghosties album of Typhoon remixes. Recently, the Ghosties have been playing live with a full band including members from several different Boy Gorilla bands. Here's a song from the BG 2nd Birthday bash:



Well, that's a start, but there's a lot more to talk about so I'll post again soon.