John Thompson

>Blood-and-guts art-punk that goes for the jugular and clamps on it with a wink and a smirk--that's the brand of rock South London's Art Brut has brought the world since releasing "Bang Bang Rock & Roll" last year. A blend of attitude and style, Art Brut gets tagged as musicians-cum-music critics, elitist art-punks with the talent to slyly poke fun at retro-rock bands like the Strokes and the audacity to do it by shouting their clever lyrics over pounding three-chord progressions which typify the very music the band sets out to mock. And the tag is justified, given the farcical takes on modern rock acts that permeate the album. In "Formed a Band," singer Eddie Argos shouts, "Formed a band! We formed a band! / Look at us! / We formed a band!" Later in the same song, Argos explains in a monologue, "Yes, this is my singing voice / It's not irony and it's not rock and roll / We're just talking to the kids." So often this kind of critical parody pigeonholes a band as an amusement at best and a "joke band" at worst. While Argos' acid-tongued quips and silly songs do warrant attention, they are only one element of Art Brut's fiery punk attack, which is as much sonic as it is subversive. The instrumentalists are not as daft as the band's name may suggest; they can play rock `n' roll. In the band's songs the amps scream, the drums pound, the bass bumps, and one thing is certain: Art Brut doesn't belittle garage rock as much as it confidently insists it can play it better.

"When I was starting Art Brut, I was ecstatic to be playing in a band and to have these guys stay around," Argos says. Argos speaks breathlessly, and with his London accent his voice sounds hurried, at times exuberant. "I've been in bands since I was thirteen. I like being onstage and jumping at people and I like writing songs."

In addition to his playful enthusiasm, Argos harbors serious ambitions. Art Brut fans know well that Argos aspires to one day join mainstream stars on the BBC's "Top of the Pops." Among critics, Argos' dream is often cited as another example of Art Brut's ironic pretensions. But Argos is dead serious: "I'm very jealous of the bands on `Top of the Pops.' It's just amazing how eclectic the mix is: Madonna, 50 Cent--actually, maybe it's not that eclectic. But it is exciting. I don't like football, but I imagine `Top of the Pops' as a football league for pop music, and I'm in a pop band, so to be on `Top of the Pops' would be an affirmation."

Until Art Brut reigns on "TOTP," however, its first home and the best showcase for its skills is the live stage. The band's show is every bit as manic, silly, aggressive and intelligent as its record. In addition to sweat-drenched dancing, Argos often urges audience members to go out and form their own bands, starts every song by saying "Ready Art Brut?" and finds his way into the crowd once or twice. He also challenges the audience's knowledge of pop music. Argos notoriously inserts references, lyrical and otherwise, to artists like the Velvet Underground, Morrissey and Argos' hero Jonathan Richman into live versions of his songs. "I'm obsessed with making those references. It's fun for me to stick those things in. You can use those songs because people recognize those things. But I mostly do it because it's fun for me; it's a good game," Argos says. Referencing other artists isn't the only way Argos alters his live songs; he also defers to the storytelling power of his art: "I love telling stories, and often the words in our songs change because the stories they're telling change, and so the music changes. We all quite like how it works. I like when other bands change their songs during live shows. So we do all that."

Art Brut plays March 30 at Metro, 3730 North Clark, (773)549-0203, at 9pm. $13-$15.

(2006-03-28)

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