Alt-Nation: Malyssa & The Liberators Release a New EP

Photo by Lisa Gourleyx

Malyssa & The Liberators – Self-Titled EP

Malyssa BellaRosa wasn’t interested in wasting light after resigning from lead vocals duties in Fall & Bounce. In just two months, BellaRosa formed the new band Malyssa & The Liberators and recorded their debut self-titled EP. The new band includes Nick Iddon (Viking Jesus & Kanerko) on drums and Sharlene DeNardo (SEXCoffee) on bass. Producer George Dussault contributes guitars and will perform live with the band from time to time. Initially, I was expecting a more singer-songwriter vibe similar to BellaRosa’s solo album, Open Up. I was wrong. From the opening number, “Dark Side,” which is propelled by a Stooges 1969 guitar riff, any notion of this being singer-songwriter stuff was destroyed. Malyssa & The Liberators are here to rock and that is that. “All Used Up” has kind of a progressive grunge vibe while “Out of Time” has an amped-up Americana feel that reminds me of Prison Bound-era Social Distortion. “Undercover Lover,” which originally appeared on Open Up, is the weak link here, but does add a soulful feel to diversify the record. On the flip side, “Me Without You” has got it all going on from a wall of dirty guitars, sugary harmonies, and a killer hook. It is pretty much my new favorite song. Malyssa & The Liberators arrived at the right time to fill a void for a good sleazy rock & roll band.

In the local music media, there are too many pom-pom wavers who will say anything and everything is great, regardless of merit. That said, the EP release show for Malyssa & The Liberators has the rare distinction of having four bands that I have (and would again) gone out of my way to see. One can’t lose with any of these bands. VulGarrity veer all over the place from alt-rock to stoner rock, and even have a more dance-floor-friendly sound in their latest release, Funkeology. The Evil Streaks from north of the border bring it with some of the best spine chilling horror anthems. Check out The Evil Streaks’ debut full-length album, Talk to the Dead, for surf garage thrills and chills. Pixels are a new band that I caught the other night and came away impressed.

Malyssa & The Liberators, VulGarrity, The Evil Streaks, and Pixels will be at Firehouse 13 on May 10. The Darkness

The Darkness are still roaring with heavy guitar thunder and operatic vocals. It’s been a few years since they hit it big with “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” but it’s not like they turned into a goth band and wrote losing that belief. This should be a fun show for anyone who digs tongue in cheek rock with big hooks.

The Darkness and Free Energy are at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel on May 13.

Odds & Sods

Silversun Pickups are at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel on May 9 with Bad Books. Viking Jesus, Denver Boot, and Mark Cutler will be at The Spot on May 10 for what promises to be a great night of local music. Alt- pop-rockers Sienna will be having their CD Release show at Fete on May 11. In addition to Sienna, Trophy Wives, Carousel Kings, Animal Empire, Spelling Out Disaster, and Colin Burke will be performing. Firehouse 13 is hosting a benefit in memory of Roger “Fatty” Jordan for the family on May 11 with some great hardcore and punk bands including Reason To Fight, Embedded, Cheech, The Frenzy of Tongs, Blackhouse and DJ Tom Butts. The doors are at 6 pm. Vudu Sister return from a brief tour to play AS220 with Bird Courage, Dan Blakeslee, and Bill Bartholomew on May 12.

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