Deadboy and the Elephantmen - We Are Night Sky

Does anyone remember the band Acid Bath? I didn’t think so. Neither did I when I heard the former band member’s newest project Deadboy and the Elephantmen. Dax Riggs dropped out of high school at 13 to drop acid and write music for the properly named band, traveling the country with his 15 year old girlfriend. Leading a life that could be accurately depicted in a Quinten Tarantino film, Dax has gone through the worst of it. Now in his late 20’s, he’s discovering there is more to life than fucking and drugs. I’m only assuming his music has gone through changes as well. Deadboy is as close as anyone has come thus far in mimicking the sound of the White Stripes. Made up of just the 2 piece boyfriend/girlfriend duo (not the same girlfriend he went cross country with. Apparently that relationship fell through…go figure), “We Are Night Sky” takes on a White Stripes vibe, though only barely doing that comparison justice. A little less rock and roll than the Stripes, Dax keeps the sound simple, with a few slow songs thrown into the mix. Dax's song writing is nothing to take too seriously either. Over half of the songs on this cd talk or refer to "the night". What does make this album is its unpredictability, randomness, and weirdness. Constantly throwing random 10 second snippets into practically every song, you really have no idea what you’re listening to until you hear it a few times. Once you have absorbed it, the somewhat effortless guitar riffs make Night Sky a semi-satisfying listen. I know the comparision is already old, but I speak the truth. Deadboy is a softer, simpler, less talented version of the White Stripes….except on acid. My advice, if you’re a huge fan of Jack and Meg (which if you’re not by now, you’ve got issues), then stay clear of Dax and Tess.