The Branded - 22 Apr 10

...if KISS and James Brown were to have kids, they would be The Branded...


Hey, blogspot readers, SouthSide got branded tonight! Okay, not literally with a hot cowpoke iron on the arse. She was lucky enough to interview the latest indie band ready to explode onto the music scene with a huge BAM! On May 1, The Branded will debut on the Elbo Room stage that's guaranteed to be a unique experience for all. From what SouthSide was told, do not expect this to be like any ordinary performance you've attended/seen either. Think HUGE, blogspot readers, with crazy fun and surprises. However before revealing more details, let's get to know The Branded better with Brian Bender and Mike Haracz.

The interview began by asking the guys why name the band "The Branded". According to Brian, the name itself is in reference to what's currently happening within the music scene today. It's no longer about the band or their music and/or the management representing the band. It's all about the brand attached to the band and the music these days. That's how they found the name - The Branded - poking fun at the commercialism stifling the scene. And they have Stephen Francis (of Model Stranger) to thank for bringing all of them together. After A Birdsong Valentine disbanded, Brian and Masta Shen still continued to perform amongst other band friends like 72 Hours and Heavy The Fall for fun. One day, Jay mentioned to Brian about anyone needing a drummer if his band ever broke up. Then Stephen mentioned to Brian about Mike looking for a band ...and the rest, as they say, is history. This band features four talented musicians - Brian Bender (formerly of A Birdsong Valentine as well as Elbo Room's talent buyer) on vocals, Mike Haracz (formerly of From The Broken) on guitars and vocals, Masta Shen (also formerly of A Birdsong Valentine, IMV) on bass and vocals, and Jay Mishur (formerly of Blown, Euphoric) on drums.

The Branded wants to perfectly clear that this will NOT be A Birdsong Valentine and/or From The Broken redux. This is totally a completely different band with a whole new sound especially for Brian who's known locally for his gut-busting screams. With The Branded, Brian will actually (drum roll) singing the lyrics not wowing the crowd with his screaming. He stated that it was more of a personal challenge for him to move beyond that phase of his music career. Plus he didn't want anyone comparing The Branded's music and/or sound with their former bands. The live shows will have a harsher tonality with Brian utilizing two mics - one for singing and a special green mic for that screaming effect. However, blogspot readers, do not expect any gut-busting screaming in their debut album, No Mercy. Yes, that's actually him rockin' the mic with his voice.

As SouthSide hinted earlier, this live show on May 1 at the Elbo Room will be HUGE with crazy fun and surprises. This will be an audio and visual show featuring two flat screen TVs on either side of the stage, lighting effects to dazzle the eyes, and commercial breaks. That's right, blogspot readers, SouthSide did say commercial breaks (pre-recorded by The Branded) which will contain thirty seconds up to one minute spots between songs. What "products" will The Branded show be sponsored by? Who knows - the guys were very secretive about that info and told this reviewer people will have to come to the show and find out. Besides all of this, there will be a guy tattooing The Branded logo on himself during the performance and two lucky fans will get the chance to shoot the show footage on fan cams. This footage will be used for The Branded's next show in which two more lucky fans will get to shoot that one and so on. Think a wilder version of "Girls Gone Wild" here, blogspot readers. They want fans to feel like they're not only experiencing a live show but a live television show - no TiVo or dead silence song breaks. You'll be watching The Branded Television channel from the beginning to the end of their performance. Brian says "...this will be a fan interactive show ...a completely different experience for [them]..." There's one thing The Branded wants everyone to know - they promise not to sacrifice any part of the production of any The Branded show if a venue cannot accommodate the size of this band's stage set up. Even if it means sacrificing a bigger show lineup too. These guys are totally 100% committed to you and your show entertainment.

In case you're wondering what inspires these musicians to write music/songs for The Branded, it's the following but not necessarily in this order - chicks, drinking, pizza and thongs. This reviewer highly suggest listening to Track 8 on the album titled Drug Pizza (her favorite song) in which she learned the short version of a long story behind this song. Mike was bothering Brian with a weird mess of guitar riffs and chords and then he (Brian) added a few insane things of his own - then BAM! The song was created however it wasn't suppose to be recorded as part of the album. This reviewer's glad it did. It's one of those songs that make you stop and say "...WTF?!?!? Those cuckcasians are insane in the membrane..." One interesting fact about this song - if you listen very closely to the beginning, that's The Branded recording the lyrics. Besides this song (as part of a trilogy to define this band), Mike suggests fans to also listen to First Move (they love the chicks in tight shirts and short skirts who make the first move) and Let Me In (a more melodic The Branded song out of the 8 tracks). Meanwhile Brian suggested his own trilogy featuring Mama Aint Go No Mercy For Ya, Dirt and Play The Game. Actually there were 15 songs written for this album yet not all were gems like the top 8 picked. They told SouthSide that at their recent CD Listening party many were taken by surprise which generated favorable responses. Thanks to recording with producer Matt Mercardo, each The Branded song is radio-ready as well as commercialized type of music. There's one song that didn't make this album but will be in their next one - Brian says they might perform it live on May 1.

In closing, what else can The Branded say about themselves? Mike says "...no matter how big they become, they're still an approachable, friendly band..." They're not cocky but confident about their music. And ladies, he's the only single member of the band who hangs below the waist *hint hint*. Brian mentioned The Branded has their own special drink concoction too called The Branded Bomb. It consists of 1/2 shot each of Jameson and Jagermeister with a can of PBR or Old Style. He says "...it's a teeth kicker..." - hm, that's one drink SouthSide won't be touching. Also there will be pregnancy tests for sale for those who might get branded later after the show. Plus there will be a cow brander with The Branded logo if you wanted to get branded - don't worry it's not a hot branding iron touching the skin. Seriously, blogspot readers, they want you to know that The Branded is 100% all about the entertainment just like the late great James Brown. They will be the hardest working indie rock band around town. Hence the quote posted at the top of this interview. And with that, the interview ended with a loud BAM!

SouthSide highly recommends attending The Branded's first performance ...she says prepared to be branded with her. This reviewer also needs to remind the kiddies that this is a dirty rated-R show on May 1 so you must be 21 or older to enter the Elbo Room (with valid ID). For more information, visit www.thebrandedmusic.com or www.myspace.com/thebrandedmusic. Yes, they're on Facebook too at www.facebook.com/thebrandedmusic.

SouthSide would like to thank Brian and Mike for taking time out of their busy schedules for this interview. She had a fun time getting branded with The Branded.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide