The greatest aspect of the raised-fist inspirational punk
rock performed by New Bloods is that the trio is actually more polite
than they are angry. Their floor-stomping anthems are a textured mesh
of populist folk tunes run through the filter of years of DIY punk,
most often hosted in that most romanticized of venues: the fabled
all-ages basement show. Both welcoming and inviting in their rousing
message, New Bloods deconstruct the wedge between performer and
listener—they are truly one and the same—with a simple
mantra: You can do this. In fact, if they had their way,
anyone would do this.
The band (violinist Osa Atole, drummer Adee Roberson, bassist Cassie
Gammill) is often unfairly associated with their race (mixed) and
sexuality (lesbian) instead of their stripped-down music, which is
worthy of great praise. New Bloods channel the urgency of punk legends
the Ex, the charm of the Raincoats, a hefty dose of the tragically
departed Spooky Dance Band, plus a pedigree of riot grrrl albums that
helped lay the very foundation on which New Bloods stand so tall.
Atole discusses the importance of this influence in particular:
“Riot grrrl was definitely a big deal for me. That was the music that
made me feel like I could play and participate. For me, it totally
changed what music was about.” She continues, “I started off listening
to alternative rock, and they are all so much about technique and being
technically proficient, but riot grrrl was just the opposite. It was
about delivery and trusting your own abilities and your creativity,
regardless of your skill level. It wasn’t the fact that they were just
women, it was their musical approach as women.”
This trio of bass/violin/drums lacks guitar, but the instrument is
hardly missed. New Bloods’ bare songs sound best as uncluttered anthems
that showcase the interchangeable vocals of a band that prefers
wonderful harmonies to the discordance usually associated with punk
music. Layers of vocals prop up the mystical “Oh, Deadly Nightshade!”
with its grinding violin chords and thumping drums, and they do the
same with the following track, a spoken/sung pro-tolerance ballad
called “Tree.”
Of course, it’s only a matter of time before The Secret Life,
their debut full-length, delivers the same inspirational blow as those
records that once inspired Atole to pick up an instrument and do it for
herself. Since, if anything, this band feels like a “how-to” guide on
the ethics, intelligence, and passion that lies at the root of punk
music and culture. Given the band’s ability to inspire even the most
casual listener to believe in the great power their music yields, New
Bloods are primed to impact future generations, much the same way they
were inspired in their formative years. Although this is hardly the
band’s intention: According to Atole, “We aren’t thinking about how we
will be looked back on. Instead, we as a band are thinking about
forming the community that we want in punk, and in music in
general.”