Minneapolis indie combining elements of stoner rock and punk.

8 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Noise, POP: Power Pop



Details:
IF MEMORY SERVES, I caught B-Line's live show a few years ago and remember not being terribly impressed. They were obviously just getting comfortable with their sound and were quite reserved in their marginal performance. After listening to this disc, I'm wondering if I'm remembering the right band. If so, B-Line has grown tremendously since that cold night at the Uptown bar. Eightball is a spirited collection of songs ranging in feel from the eerie ("Sing Sing Song"), to the downright raucous ("The Great Equalizer.") Just about every song is a standout track. B-Line deftly uses slightly different approaches to their songwriting creating a variety of interesting sounds, rhythms, and dynamics while staying cohesive. "Greed and Guilt" is my favorite track for a few reasons. It's greasy and gritty, and demands to be blared out a car window while cruising Hennipen Ave on a hot summer night. It also features the guest talents of Dander alums Shane the Pain and Jena Side. Members of the Melismatics also lend a hand on the album, pardon the namedropping. Overall, I have to say that it's great to see a band stay together for more than a year in this town, and furthermore, to see them grow and get really stinkin' good. Here's hoping these boys stick around for another three years. Eightball gets my vote for Best Rock Album of the year so far...yeah, it's only April, but what the hell. See you at the next B-Line show.

Archie Rex
www.demorama.com