“Westermarck” — Charly Bliss
After a couple weeks off, we triumphantly return to the World Wide Web with a new music video and some words about it. Rejoice!
Recently, Wolf Parade came through town and, with nothing to do on a Sunday night, I moseyed over to the House of Blues. I was particularly impressed with the show’s opener, Charly Bliss. This four-piece rock outfit has been treading water in Brooklyn, New York for the last 5 years, refining their sound, building a fan base and melting faces — all while trying to put out a full length record.
Their debut album, Guppy, is a ten song, crunchy pop record that is the perfect mix of Garbage, Veruca Salt, Weezer, a dash of Pavement and a just whiff of Hole. It’s the perfect mix of over-driven rock, catchy hooks and enthusiastic expression that the current indie landscape sorely needs. While — in my opinion — generic electro-pop and the neo-soul revival have dominated the triple-A airwaves, I hope Charly Bliss will help steer this format back toward rock ‘n’ roll. But hey, what do I know?
I chose this video for “Westermarck” because I think it mirrors the 90’s/early 2000’s aesthetic that is evoked through their sound. Personally, I liked the summer camp theme it was shot in, too. It reminded me of Salute Your Shorts and Pete and Pete.
The video is a great reflection of the album: energetic, pop-y and fun rock ‘n’ roll. I’ll let you try it on for size while I go scour the internet for old Nickelodeon shows and revel in my caffeine-fueled nostalgia.
— Dave Emmert
