Born the Sky Debuts in Hollywood

A cross between Radiohead and the White Stripes. A band whose songs are as good as their performance. The new Ramones. This is the band Born the Sky. Their first gig was on Wednesday February 28th at The Gig on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.

An edge of intrinsic rue of the world in their performance with a passionate lyrical undertone, Born The Sky is a three-piece ensemble wavering on the edge of greatness. Clear and distinct is the feeling they give behind each song, each phrase, every measure.

The lead singer is Mark Martinez, a lanky leader with a true voice of grit and stark emotion. Mike Duncan is the bassist dedicated the soulful feeling behind each beat and strum of string. And the drummer is Mark Malloy, a funky beat with every stroke. He plays like a pro who really has put much artistry into his work as opposed to making up beats that sound good. The difference between them and any other band is that they are real musicians dedicated to pleasing the audience with intelligent sounds and lyrics.

The first song up that night was This Is The Age. A song about people rising up to a world that has come to destruction. Reminiscent of "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" by the Smashing Pumpkins, this song leaves us feeling helpless by what the world has done to itself. But at the same time it tells us that nothing matters so much as to turn your back on the sheer madness of the world. There is some good in it. The world is beautiful and the music follows that logic. Mark, the singer, gives a fantastical strum of his guitar in the breaks and chorus letting us know that there is some fairyland that we can dream about, better than this world.

The next song up is The System. It starts out with a topical beat, very low and soft. The system of whatever world you live in has taken over your life. Everything is simple yet blurry. The chorus reminds us that we are bigger than the system. it may get into our heads and our eyes, but we can't let it confuse us and take over. With lyrics like "put it in my head, put it in my heart, put it in my soul, lock into the system" we can see that this band is more than just some passing fancy. They really know what they mean to share with the world.

Ashes is a song lost love. Do the ashes of our past come back to hunt us? Do we think they're gone when we come to find out that they are still rising in the air above us choking us to death? You get caught up in the magical rhythms of this song, the bass player's mission to put a deep misery in your body by listing past loves gone with his shock wave play carries you throughout.

On Your Tongue is a newer song from the band and one of my favorites. It shows that they have a little more diversity than the average rock or garage band. They are polished and have a great ear for a song that will hook the audience.

They played 7 songs altogether. The last song was called Halo, a song that the lead singer says was given to him divinely. Well with the passion that is put behind it, you can tell. It is rare that you want to hear a new band's instrumental during a song but Born the Sky has wisdom enough to make their instrumental stand out as an extraordinary part of the song.

On stage each performer has their own visual style; their own emotions are put into each phrase of each song. Mark, the lead singer scrunches his face with every heartbreaking feeling he has to dig deep down for. He looks dreamily into the sky when there's a magical break in the music before going back to the hardcore rock. Mike is a strong, mesmerizing bass player who really helps you to feel the music inside. And Mark is a gifted drummer, shaping the song into something beyond its lyrics while putting on a fantastic show at the same time.

This band had been in preparation for 2 years now and with the addition of the drummer, Mark, the band is complete. Their first time on stage together was a huge triumph. Each song has a great hook, a great theme and will pull you in upon first hearing. The drum beats are complicated, but coordinated in such a way that it's music you really feel compelled to listen to. The bass' phrases really do hit your heart and soar through your body with pleasure and ease. And the lead singer's voice is unique and dirty enough for you to grab onto and feel the strength of it.

Born the sky is definitely the band to watch. Kudos to The Gig for playing a band with such a good future ahead of them.

You can find more information on this band at www.myspace.com/bornthesky.