White Powder, Black Power
The Semis have been regularly blasting local audiences with their sludgy brand of intense alt-rock for the past five years or so. The Billy Summers-led power trio starts their new EP White Powder, Black Power with an aural assault that sounds as if about 20 guitars and a couple of chainsaws are being channeled through a single mic. Staying just above the fray is Summers’ detached vocal, which seems to be speaking to the simple joy of losing one’s self in face melting riffage. In addition to the dark-hued rockers there’s the “Walk This Wayâ€-style funk of “The Waves†— an Aerosmith-meets-Velvet Underground ditty about rock ’n’ roll songs no longer being fun. Summer even goes into strum mode on the pleasantly acoustic “38,†making this disc a fine representation of this Bay area fave.
3 stars
