I want to get this out of the way – Blood Red Dancers sound a lot like the Doors. There’s nothing wrong with this – the Doors are one of my top bands ever. Would I still like this band, if say, I had never heard the Doors? Yes, yes, yes.

Their debut ep, Let Him Fight, I’ll Be In The Breadline, starts with Sweetie’s Gettin’ Mobbed, and it sounds like an ode to a stripper: I like watching all those boys watching you/ Some might say I’m jealous, and yeah I guess it’s true/ I find it amazing watching all that watching you go through/ I like watching all those boys watching you. It, as do the other six tracks, has a throbbing bass line that you would do well to pay close attention to. It’s also got warm keyboards - it’s sinister and it coordinates well with the rattling and brutal voice of singer Aaron Poppick.


Blood Red Dancers - photo by Mary Henlin

1000 Times features a harmonica and organ. Strange? Damn right. Does it work though? Absolutely: Drinkin’ that liquor gets me mean sometimes/ If I get that woman Lord I’ll be fine. . . You take one look at her and she’ll heal your eyes. It’s no wonder the band lists drinking, pretty girls and pretty girls drinking as influences on their myspace. The vocal delivery is again so brutal you feel like the singer is right in the room with you. All For You is a hallucinogenic song and it’s got lovely guitars carrying it.

Fur Skin Coat is a weird romantic piece: Gonna get my woman something real, real nice/ once I get those pennies off that dead guy’s eyes. It’s spooky with what sounds like jangling chains and ghosts singing in the background. The Lamb is again sleazy and dramatic – and bless it for that. It swirls out of control as sometimes you want rock to do: Come and take my hand/ as we burn down the land. . . if we do it in the name of God/ Then the blood will wash off. Muddy Water starts off Poppick’s groan, then elaborates with a cool, cool bass line.

This Seattle band has made one of the best eps/cds of the year. I want more.