Cobalt Cranes

You ever see a group and think, “Man, these guys are totally punk”, even though you know they are not “Punk” music? Well that’s just because the general population is confused about what Punk is – just try to tell me the Velvet Underground isn’t punk and I’ll come find you and shove White Light/White Heat down your throat. It’s melodic punk. At any rate, the Cobalt Cranes are rocking the Los Angeles underground scene, and they are pretty punk about it; melodic punk and rock, with a tinge of psychedelia and an ever so slight occasional inkling of garage surf.  Some of their songs shred through your head with a depth and thickness suggestive of a serious air, but with a high tempo identifiable with rock n roll and fun. Other songs, while still dirty and almost grungey, evokd a dark beauty reminiscent of bitter-sweet love, like their (soon to be) hit ‘Take You’. Look for their new EP, In Media Rez early this year!

The Cobalt Cranes are kind of a mysterious band. While all members are amiable persons, and I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with them all, Tim (guitar) and Kate (bass) represent the more serious and enigmatic face of the band, often showing up close to show time, or just after, and then disappearing like your last sip of Colt 45 when you thought you had two left; and sometimes before you could get around to thanking them for blowing your mind and rocking your face off. Meanwhile, Donovan (drums) and Mateo (guitar) are often left lingering behind to make sure all the beer in the joint has been thoroughly finished. Altogether though, the Cranes exude a dynamic chemistry on stage. There’s something about this band and their music that embodies he city, the art gallery scene, and the rich world of the underground venue – which includes the underground mainstream. We at Dirty Hippie Radio always look forward to the next Cobalt Cranes show that we can catch, and we anxiously await the release of In Media Rez!

If you happen to live in one of the other billions of places outside of LA and won’t have a chance to catch the Cobalt Cranes anytime soon, lucky for you they’ve recorded a video, and their live performance at KXLU was videotaped. To further pursue this up and coming band, check out their myspace and tune in to Dirty Hippie Radio for music samples, sales, and show dates.

~Dirty Jeff