Broken Dreams Club Video Premiere: “Bastard” from Galore
Photo credit: Marisa Bazan
Anyone who dares sneak a peek at the news these days can understand why a rage room would be a nice place of refuge.
These oases of destruction are designed for people to take out their frustrations by smashing inanimate objects—glass bottles, air conditioners, old computers, you name it—to little bits and pieces. It’s a wonderful way of shoehorning catharsis into anti-social behavior, because, c’mon, everyone deserves to completely fuck something up at some point.
Galore, the great indie rock quartet out of San Francisco, fittingly stopped by a local such establishment recently to film the music video for their terrific new single, “Bastard,” the second release off their upcoming album, “Dirt.” That video is premiering now on Broken Dreams Club.
Like all Galore songs, “Bastard” defies easy convention. It’s lean and unadorned, full of crisp guitar lines and steady rhythm movements, recalling sleek and slender acts like The Feelies or The Clean. But guitarist and singer Griffin Jones’ clear, ringing vocals belie the slacker insouciance of those bands and her earnest delivery adds depth and poignancy to the song’s lyrics of self-loathing.
Because as one could expect from a song called “Bastard,” the track isn’t exactly an ode to the human spirit. Jones catalogs her various shortcoming in a haltingly reflective manner, highlighted by her declaration that she’s “the bastard of almost everything.”
In their press materials for “Bastard,” the band astutely notes that the song is about, “in so many words, being a fuck up.”
“We’ve all messed up. I try to grow and learn from my mistakes,” Jones said in the release. “Getting older is crazy. You learn that life isn’t a joke. It feels more like a casino, fun but full of calculated risks.”
Those are heavy words of self-realization, but this song isn’t a morose dirge about disappointment. In fact, it’s fun as hell at times, no more so when the whole Galore gang—Griffin, bassist Ava Rosen, guitarist Ainsley Wagoner, and drummer Hannah Smith—jump in together for some inspired group vocals.
Chanting, “Oh no, not me/What’s that I see/Smoky doorways/Lit windows/Who’s there,” the band sounds defiant and cheeky, evoking New Wave bands of the 80s or the kiss-off anthems of outfits such as The Breeders and Grass Widow (a beloved local act cited by Galore as an inspiration.)
As evidenced by their highlight reel of smashery, Galore clearly had a great time making the video for “Bastard,” which was directed and edited by Taylor Giffin with camerawork from Juan Urrea. Rosen and Wagoner handled the titles for the video.
An absolutely dynamic single, “Bastard” will only heighten the anticipation for “Dirt,” Galore’s long-awaited second LP. That effort will be released on July 25 through Speakeasy Studios SF, a San Francisco label managed by longtime musician and local mainstay Alicia Vanden Heuvel.
The late-July date can’t come soon enough, and for those who think that 3 ½ weeks is too long to wait for the new record, we might advise a visit to a rage room for some anxiety relief.