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The Blood Brothers Information
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:This article is about the band. For the musical, see Blood Brothers.
'The Blood Brothers' are a rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, USA in 1997. Members are: Jordan Blilie (vocals), Johnny Whitney (vocals), and Morgan Henderson (bass), along with Waxwing's Cody Votolato (guitar) and Mark Gajadhar (drums).
Line-up
The band is considered unusual in that it has two dedicated lead vocalists. In addition to this Cody and Morgan perform back-up vocals. Recent albums (...Burn, Piano Island, Burn and especially Crimes) have featured a degree of experimental instrumentation: Morgan often deviates from bass to add a second guitar or synthesiser, and also utilizes laptop technology. Johnny has added piano/wurlitzer to many more songs, a process which actually began on "Time for Tenderness" from This Adultery Is Ripe. He has claimed he always wanted to incorporate such instruments into the Blood Brothers' sound, but only on signing with a major label prior to ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn did he have the means to do this .
Style
The genre the band fall into has been described as punk, hardcore, post-hardcore, spazzcore and even extremo and Sasscore (see Alternative Press Issue from October). What is certain is that they make wide use of loud, intense vocal styles (often screaming) and punk/hardcore instrumentation (i.e., fast drumming and plentiful power chords). The two singers mean that the vocals are often the focal point of songs, although this is not to say any of the other instruments are neglected in any way. Blilie and Whitney's voices often overlap in the same way one might expect rhythm and lead guitars to, one repeating a signature line/chorus while the other adds a lead motif. The two vocalists contrast each other to good effect: Whitney's voice is generally accepted to have evolved from the slurred, venomous drawl on This Adultery Is Ripe to the insanely high-pitched squeals ("like a child being tortured ") heard on Crimes, while Blilie's has maintained the same low, robust ferocity throughout, and the juxtaposition of screams stands out in many songs. Some of their influences include Drive Like Jehu, Angel Hair, Highway 61, and Botch. Currently, they are also in sideprojects such as Neon Blonde and Head Wound City, the latter consisting of members from The Locust and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Whitney did vocals for the now defunct Soiled Doves.
Clothes
Johnny Whitney now runs a clothing company called Crystal City Clothing with Amy Carlsen. People such as Conor Oberst from the band Bright Eyes have been seen wearing Crystal City Clothing (). Crystal City, as well as doing their own clothes designs, have done band t-shirts, unsurprisingly, for bands Johnny Whitney has been involved in, such as Neon Blonde.
Discography
Albums
*This Adultery Is Ripe (2000)
*March On Electric Children (2001)
*...Burn, Piano Island, Burn (2003)
*Crimes (2004)
EPs
*Rumors Laid Waste (2003)
Singles
*Ambulance Vs. Ambulance (2003)
*Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck (2004)
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