With years of musical experience, two veteran songwriters/musicians, John Rigg and Edmond Bruneau, aka Robot Raven, have just dropped a compilation of some of their most popular tracks from albums released over the years. The compilation is simply called Rockers.
Straddling the lines between classic rock elements, rockabilly, lo-fi, and newer rock styles, Rockers is a collection of 18 tracks from the band’s releases over a string of many years.
The collection, available via Souncloud, kicks of with the theatrical rock vibe of “Password” followed by the noodling single, “Turn Me On.” The latter track sports a mid 70s glam rock sheen that is also a bit ironic at the same time. The intensity of the vocal deliveries is not to be overlooked.
“Crank It Out” feels like the 70s post-punk underground movement where the punk elements had not yet transitioned into keyboards and soaring guitars. Rather, here we have angst and badass rock attitude on a track that reminds this listener of the Kinks’ and Ray Davies-like growls.
There is a spaghetti-western rolling, rocking, and ball-grabbing, “A Girl Like You,” complete with slide guitars and vintage guitar riffs, not to mention the ever-present scruffy vocals.
“John wanted to do a swinging/surfin’ number that would be an upbeat version of early guitar instrumentals he used to learn from The Ventures or The Pyramids,” Bruneau says.
“He sent me a demo singing scat where the lyrics would fit, but he originally used ‘a girl like you’ in the refrain and I liked it. So, I just filled in the rest of the blanks. He told me back then it was easier to do a key change than write a Mid-8 break.”
The Elvis-inspired “Earworms” reminds us a lot of “Viva Las Vegas,” with its hurried vocals and hip-swinging rhythms, backed by horns and a riveting, ringing guitar solo. There is also a Jerry Lee Lewis feel to the track, which is an interesting accomplishment: that is, to miss those slightly different styles into one track.
One of the collections’ big tracks is the semi-viral “Me 2” which is not surprisingly an ode to the MeToo movement that sprang up a few years back and which is relevant again today with the conviction this past week of Harvey Weinstein.
Rigg and Bruneau take on a sensitive subject as middle-aged guys growing up in America who have seen their share, we’re sure, of abuse and mistreatment at the hands of a male-dominated society. It also proves the fact that the majority of men are *not* pigs. The lyrics are in fact profound and deep.
“Survivors of sexual assault and harassment have for too long been in the shadows,” Bruenau writes. The song and movement “gives victims a way to speak up and seek accountability. The movement has grown to include both women and men of all races and ages,” he adds.
Another standout song is the relationship storytelling of “The Little Things” – that we all are guilty of taking advantage of at times until something profound happens to realize that the ‘little things’ are what matter most. The song has an arching melody and rattling guitars.
As songwriters and musicians, the duo has a tongue-in-cheek allure, without being irreverent; their music is multi-facted (while sticking to a decidedly classic rock vein), powerful, and clever. It’s not hard to imagine having a good time at one of their shows.
Fans of avante-garde, quirky, off-beat tracks and bands will likely dig the frenetic and unusual mix of styles on “DNA,” with its down-on-the-corner chugging vibes and the repetition of the line: “DNA/Stay away from my DNA.”
It’s enjoyable as are many of the tracks on this compilation. Robot Raven has definitely made their contributions to off-beat indie/classic rock music with this collection of tracks from their previous four album releases.
The compilation ends with the compelling “Children of the Universe.” The song has a brimming nostalgia to it. “It came from a simple thought: what if we could remember how we all lived our lives together before we were born?” Bruneau remarks. ” And just maybe, instead of creating terror, war and violence, we could use our energy for peace, understanding, and goodwill. We all once were stardust. Definitely the hippy song on the album.”
Rigg has four releases to his credit, including early work with the stadium rock group Abiqua and solo drops. He is also a world-renown robot builder and inventor and owns what may be the world’s largest and most complete museum dedicated to toy and replica robots, the Robot Hut Museum, located in Northeastern Washington state.
Bruneau gained attention in the early 1970’s as the drummer of the infamous Seattle garage band, SKy Dog Band and has written numerous commercial jingles with Bruce Innes. He is a poet.
Rigg/Bruneau have written over sixty original songs together and are considered some of the most proficient song gurus around. Their penchant for the “classic rock sound” shapes Robot Raven’s unique and interesting arrangements, although the group never fears to divert to other musical genres occasionally for the sheer fun of it.
www.robotraven.com