Info Rock. Fake Indians

Since the pandemic I have the option again to let my hair hang down and Info Rock provides the opportunity to do so. The album is filled to the brim with earsplitting punk and alternative rock like they used to make it. The kind of album that takes as much as it provides energy. The music invites to headbang and or pogo big time. It has it all.

Fake Indians is a project led by Stof Janssens and described as "a noisy bedroom project". I'm glad I'm not the neighbour but then my neighbours will regret living next to me when I'm playing the album. Janssens first came into my life as the lead guitarist of TMGS with the album 'Rivers And Coastlines: The Ride' in 2013. You can find an interview with him at the time on this blog. Live he was always the musician who seemed to be kept on a leash in TMGS. Somewhat restrained by the format. His inner beast is let loose here.

From the bedroom the band formed and now consists of two guitarists, a drummer and bass player that is playing shows. The music will come across loud and louder is my guess. I'm not so sure about clear. Info Rock holds post rock elements within its music. Instrumental, loud and shredding. The nine and a half minute long final song 'Talk Radio' is a fine example how the band gets into a groove around a single riff before Janssens lets his guitar really rip. Depending on how loud a band is allowed to play in a venue these days, people may leave with something between a whistle in the ear to bleeding eardrums. After five minutes the band winds down for a story that is told about talk radio and a car on a highway. It turns out the narrator hates it when they talk on the radio. I totally relate, for what it's worth. Ironically, the narrator does not sing but talks here.

The rest of the album is loud also, but also more song oriented. It opens with one of the singles, 'O.D.D.' I love how this song, already loud, explodes, including the effects on the voice that takes on a life of its own. If the band opens its show with 'O.D.D.' two things can happen: either the audience is captured from the first second or is running for the door. There will be no in between. The music is this extreme. Those who appreciate it, will recognise the quality.

Just listen how good 'No House No Door' rocks. The song has a great groove and despite it all holds a pop element that invites to shout the chorus along and dance to that groove. That level of energy is captured in '27 Okay' once again and, reminding me of 'Raw Power', 'Dead Dog Parking Lot'. No other lyrics except for the title here and all over in just more than one minute. With the instrumental 'Opal Mantra', Indian notes and all, the album has its welcome breather.

There's no need for more words here. Info Rock is so full of excitement and energy, that it tells its own tale. Fake Indians is a band that lovers of all sorts of rock should find their way to. Who said that rock was dead? Jim Morrison? Well, he was proven wrong, once again.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Info Rock here:

https://fakeindians.bandcamp.com/album/inforock