DO IT BIG “Sick Six Cents”
Do It Big are my favorite new noise band. In my mind, this is how it’s supposed to be done. DIB are an all-girl band who crouch in a circle around a handful of drums, various microphones, toys, amps, guitars, bent electronics, and anything else they can get their hands on. Then they pound out some kind of slumber party drum circle girl-noise music that feels like an intimate ritual.
Some might ask why I’ve already used the word “girl” twice in this review? Why does gender have to matter, huh? And why am I calling them “girls” instead of “women?” Well, in this case there’s a reason. Do It Big are seriously all about being girls. Mixed into the noise you get cheerleading chants, baton twirling, pom-poms, pattycake songs, and at one show I saw, even frantic whispering of secrets into one another’s ears! (not shared with the audience) They even have a sort of lead vocalist who sings in a really surprisingly strong and soulful voice. That’s right, real singing! Not screaming or growling or mumbling, and no effects to hide behind. (maybe a little reverb) In the context of everything else, it feels like the kind of made-up songs that every girl recorded on her home tape recorder back in the 80’s, dreaming of becoming the next Debby Gibson.
So I’ve gone on and on about Do It Big the band and their music, but how about this recording? Well, unfortunately this is not as good as seeing them live. It would be challenging to capture the mix of amplified and natural sounds they play and this recording has a bit of an uneven mix and seems a little less powerful than it should. We wind up with a drums and vocals focused recording here, which still sounds cool but I wish I could hear more of the stuff. I’d still highly recommend it but I wish I’d also gotten that live cassette they were selling. On this CD you get what would basically be 2 live performances here, 2 long tracks.
This is on band member (also of Taiwan Deth) Angela’s Vanishing Records and comes in a silkscreened digipak case.
