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Listed: Big Business + JEFF The Brotherhood

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Dusted Features

Every Friday, Dusted Magazine publishes a series of music-related lists determined by our favorite artists. This week: L.A. stoners Big Business and Nashville’s riff rats JEFF the Brotherhood.



Listed: Big Business + JEFF The Brotherhood


Big Business

Los Angeles-via-Seattle duo Big Business have been churning out burly power rock for almost a decade now. Made up of bassist/vocalist Jared Warren, he of goofball misanthropes Karp, and ex-Murder City Devils drummer Coady Willis, Big Business deliver some of the most massive, pile-driving sludge around. That they pull it off with nary a guitar makes their take on the loud-heavy all the more impressive. In addition to their own touring and recording, the pair have also been moonlighting as the rhythm section for the Melvins for the past several years. Back on the road this summer for a co-headlining tour with Torche, Willis and Warren’s thoughts are, not surprisingly, more focused on the trials and tribulations of touring life than what record to play next. In a departure from our normal Listed content, Big Business offers up a list of what ails them. Maybe when they roll into your town next, you can try to remember what they’ve been through. OK?

Top 10 Rock Tour Ailments

10. Bed Bugs
Let’s get this one out of the way. Nothing funny about it. If you’ve ever been bit, you know. It itches and it sucks, sometimes for more than two weeks at a time.

9. Road Fever
You’ve just driven 1,500-2,000 miles in a row. Symptoms include dementia, hallucinations, the 1,000-yard stare, the giggles, An overwhelming urge to run naked and screaming into the nearest forest/corn field.

8. The Vegan Bellyache
"But you guys, there’s nothing for me to EAT here!!"

7. The One-Beer Blues
Seriously, why don’t you also have just one M&M and a potato chip with that?

6. Farm Arm
Also known as drivers sunburn. May also afflict the person riding shotgun. Especially severe in vehicles without A/C.

5. Swamp Ass
It’s hot. It’s humid. And you’ve just loaded four guitar cabinets and a drum kit up two flights of rickety stairs. Time to sit in your juices and work on your own private reserve of sour mash.

4. Drunk Guy Malaise
The Depression that sets in upon realizing the drunk person you’re talking to will never be convinced that you believe what they’re saying, despite their unrelenting repetition of the same thought.

3. Toxic Van Syndrome
Ever wonder what the inside of your friend’s body smells like? Now you know, and you will always know.

2. Guarantee Reduction Deafness
Usually triggered by a promoter uttering the words: "Hey guys, yeah, uh, presales just weren’t as good as I’d hoped..." ...and that’s the last thing you hear.

1. Friendly Bathroom Anxiety
Realizing your only Deuce options include a stall with no door, no toilet paper, and two inches of standing water, OR…a honey bucket outhouse that hasn’t been emptied since 1994.


JEFF the Brotherhood

Nashville brothers Jake and Jamin Orall started playing garage rock as JEFF the Brotherhood years ago when they were still in high school. In between then and now, they started and left Be Your Own Pet, scored a live album on Jack White’s Third Man Records, and earned national acclaim on their own label and their own terms. Since the release of 2009’s Heavy Day, the Oralls’ sound has gotten a bit brighter, a bit poppier, culminating with this year’s power-punk collection, We are the Champions. Jake Orall penned this week’s Listed feature.

1. The Beach Boys - Today
The Beach Boys were my first favorite band, and I think they still are. They are the reason I like pop music. And love songs.

2. Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick
I think this is the first really heavy band I got into. They wouldn’t be really considered conventionally heavy, I guess, but the first record has some pretty fuckin’ serious riffs. I guess they got me into riffs.

3. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Smashing Pumpkins were my third favorite band, The Beatles being my second. Billy Corgan is probably my second favorite guitarist next to Randy Holden.

4. Veruca Salt - American Thighs
When I got super heavy into Smashing Pumpkins, I was super heavy into Veruca Salt, too. Its first album holds up and is still one of my fav rock records ever.

5. The Ramones - Road To Ruin
Everyone knows The Ramones are the best because they sound like The Beach Boys, but harder.

6. Hawkwind - In Search of Space
Hawkwind was the second space-rock band I got into and it really blew my mind. We are pretty influenced by them.

7. Can - Future Days
You can hear a lot of German ‘70s experimental sounds in our earlier albums, Can is one of my favorites, along with Amon Duul II, NEU!, Kraftwerk and La Dusseldorf.

8. Mountain - Climbing!
Mountain was the band that got me into southern hard rock. They are great and heavy as hell.

9. Randy Holden - Population II
The ultimate heavy guitar record. ULTIMATE!

10. Weezer - Blue Album
Obviously....

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