ZapTown

Beaten Awake
Thunder$troke
Fat Possum Records
Rating: 4 out of 5

Links:

Beaten Awake on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/beatenawake
Fat Possum Records Site: http://www.fatpossum.com/

Very retro early 90s alternative music. Very reminiscent of early British shoegaze alt-rock. Think New Order/Electronic but during their more rock phase, think Lemonheads but mopier, think The Church with a different singer. If this existed when 120 Minutes was still on, Beaten Awake would be in heavy rotation. For our readers under 30, 120 Minutes used to be an alternative rock video show on MTV in the early 90s featuring great alternative bands like Lightning Seeds, Mighty Lemon Drops, Smiths, Beastie Boys, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, etc. For our readers under 25, MTV used to play music videos. For our readers under 20, MTV used to suck a lot less than it does now. For our readers in 3^rd world nations, we have this thing called TV.  But I digress.

Beaten Awake, by their name alone, sounds very much like a hardcore punk band, a la late 80s/early 90s when hardcore got huge in the US. Even the album title Thunder$troke has a great punk-sounding parody name. This group, however, is neither punk rock nor hardcore. Smooth, heavy bass alternative rock with proto-shoegaze influence by the bucketful. Makes me warm and nostalgic inside. Great music to put to a movie soundtrack or to leave on while making out with a bunch of friends in the same room, lights low, hoping your parents stay upstairs just . 10 . more . minutes.

Being composed of members of Harriet the Spy, Party of Helicopters, Man I Fell in Love With and New Terror Class, Ohio’s Beaten Awake have an outstanding musical genome. Artsy, airy alternative rock, this 11-track LP is very listenable. Notable songs to pay attention to would be “Halo V” and “I’m Not Asking for the Moon.”

Thunder$troke is a fine record, deserving to be listened to more than a few times in a row.