Grndntl brnds
Communicating For Influence
Vaccination
First off, the name is pronounced “Grand National Brands,” but officially, it’s Grndntl Brnds. There seems to be a strange kind of political propaganda going through here, and I don’t really get it. The music is some strange mix of folksy dementia and indie rock chaos that might fit well within the Elephant Six family. Or maybe it’s ‘cause they’re from San Francisco, though evidently, they do not perform there. There’s some hints of early Throwing Muses vocal stylings slipping through the mix, and they come out strong on tracks like “Preservation Society,” but it’s not all about Throwing Muses… sometimes it moves down into this half sleeping indie rock territory, like if Red Red Meat took sleeping pills before a show. You know, that slightly drunk country sound.
Vaccination, PO Box 20931, Oakland, CA 94611
