Bambi Molesters, The
Intensity!

  • Format: LP
  • Band: Bambi Molesters, The
  • Title: Intensity!
  • Band's Origin: YU / HR
  • Style: instrumental Beat
  • Rating: 4
  • Release Year: 2009
  • Recording Year: 1998
  • Production Year: 1999/2009
  • Record Company: Dancing Bear
  • Item's Number: DBLP 018
  • Color of the Label: coloured
  • Edition: original
  • Extras: 180 gram vinyl
  • EAN: 3858882191814
  • Weight: 288 g
Grading
  • Visual: new
  • Acoustic:
  • Cover: new

Dancing Bear Release Information



Having made an initial splash with Dumb Loud Hollow Twang, the Bambi Molesters stepped up to a more sympathetic recording environment and the advantages of having a little more time with their second album Intensity! In ways of course the band simply needed to keep on keeping on — a good surf-rock inspired band will always have energy and good times on its side — but the quartet showed here that solely revisiting the past wouldn’t be enough.

If anything the secret ingredient of the group — a healthy love for garage rock and moody sixties-film soundtracks (not for nothing did the band help put together a Morricone tribute), adding a darker undertow to many of the band’s songs — surfaces more here on songs like “Golden Spike.” But the basic templates and touchstones remain — that the second song is a cover of surf-rock legend-above-all Dick Dale’s “The Wedge” is both perfectly understandable and a great excuse for everyone to go all out. If Dalibor Pavičić and Dinko Tomljanović aren’t claiming to be the second coming, they do the guitar legend proud nonetheless, while their chops on the band’s many originals are mighty fine. The bass and drum work of Lara and Hrvoje Zaborac make for a perfect counterpart, swathed in echo but never buried, rolling along with songs like “Central Coast Swing” and “Chase”.

Perhaps the secret winner is an inspired cover of a traditional Balkan folk song, “Napuljska gitara” — given a blissful, merry arrangement that sounds like Zagreb and Honolulu ended up switching places, it’s a lovely song and testimony to the universality of guitar music in two minutes’ time. Meanwhile, the band’s sense of humor remains perfectly intact, as titles like “Bikini Machines” (which has a wonderfully giddy guitar break or two) and “Invasion of the Reverb Snatchers” demonstrate perfectly. (Ned Ragget, All Music Guide, 2005)


Dancing Bear Band Information (from 2005)



Formed in 1995 under the influence of 60’s garage and surf classics, the Croatia based band The Bambi Molesters won sympathies of rock critics and underground rock audience with their first album “Dumb Loud Hollow Twang” which was released in 1997. Since then they have been playing regularly in Croatia and all over Europe and their fiery and energetic live performances have helped to build their reputation as one of the finest and most original contemporary instrumental bands.

In 1999 the band signed the record deal with Dancing Bear. They released their second album called “Intensity”. The same LP was also released in Germany on Kamikaze Records. Both “Intensity” and “Dumb Loud Hollow Twang” gained positive reviews in the music press and were nominated in various categories of the Croatian music award.

In December 2001 The Bambi Molesters released their 3rd CD “Sonic Bullets: 13 from the Hip” (the LP version is from 2003) with the following guests: Peter Buck (REM), Scott McCaughey (Minus Five, REM touring band), Chris Eckman (The Walkabouts), Terry Lee Hale and Eduardo “Speedo” Martinez (The Flaming Sideburns). Just like the previous one, the new The Bambi Molesters album was published by the Croatian record label Dancing Bear. The CD got excellent reviews in various magazines (Mojo, Uncut, Pitchfork, ...) and received the Croatian journalist award for the best album of the year 2001.

In June 2002 “Sonic Bullets: 13 from the Hip” was licensed by ACE Records and was released on their Big Beat label.

The Bambi Molesters’ songs are regularly played on American (KFJC, KFAI, KXLU, WREK, WHUS) and British (BBC RADIO 1 in London) radio stations. The song “C Alpha E” was included in the movie called “The Treat” by Jonathan Gems (screenwriter for “Mars Attacks” and “1984”). Their music can also be heard in videos (“Cross Cuts” for Tonix Pictures and Dragonfly BMX video). Three songs from the first LP are included in the movie “Barabe” (Viba film, Slovenia). During the last couple of years the band has played more than 100 gigs and supported well known acts including The Cramps, REM, Chrome Cranks, Man or Astroman,...

In July 2003 the band played as a support at the R.E.M. European tour. The Bambi Molesters played at three gigs in front of 50000 people altogether.

In June 2004, together with The Walkabouts singer Chris Eckman they formed The Strange. Their debut album “Nights of Forgotten Films” is out on Dancing Bear.


Tracklist



Side A


1. Intensity! 3:19
2. The Wedge 2:39
3. Central Coast Swing 3:00
4. Bikini Machines 2:00
5. Tempted 3:11
6. Chase 2:42
7. Avalanche 2:58

Side B


1. High Wall 3:09
2. Golden Spike 3:10
3. Invasion of the Reverb Snatchers 3:26
4. Sweet Spot 3:07
5. Latinia 6:27