Imogene

by Scott Hefflon

These guys are from L.A., but must take trips to the desert. Sure, I guess The Doors were from L.A., but so were all the glam bands of the ’80s, and I doubt the city’s ever fully recovered from that, seeing as a lot of those bands are still hanging on, much as we try to shake them loose.

Imogene should be from a hippy commune, or the desert, or the mountains. Some place away from the hustle and bustle, a place where you can smoke up and jam with yer friends, a place where the bass can rumble and shake the bong ya left on the cabinet. Imogene are not your standard four-piece. They have a drummer, an electric piano/organ player, and a four-string bassist, but instead of a guitarist, they have an eight-string bassist, and one of the guys can carry a tune smoothly, effortless, almost lazily. The tunes mix soul and psychedelia, like maybe grunge did before it became mainstream rock, like Monster Magnet in a mellower mood, not swaggering and pissy and profound (Monster Magnet being one of the few bands besides The Cult that can chant “Monolythic, Baby!” or “Peace Dog” and not get laughed at).

One of the best tracks, “Sunny Day Child,” has a bassline (or two) that stretches for miles, and I thought it was a little Lenny Kravitz until I realize Red Hot Chili Peppers were from L.A., and then it all kinda clicked. They used to rule in the late ’80s and real early ’90s. They were zany, but they also had the lock-in groove, and some sadness and darkness that hard drugs’ll give ya. Not saying Imogene are smackheads, but “Wormwood Raindrops” is perfect to nod to, in a beanbag chair, staring at the lava lamp, realizing all the kids posting love on MySpace as quickly as they can are missing it all, man.
(www.imogene.info)