Don't Call them a 'Seattle Band'

I first saw My Name in Seattle back in 1991. They were one of three relatively forgetable acts perfoming at the OK Hotel. They failed to make an impression on me then only because the band they were opening for was the untouchable NoMeansNo a band so cool they make you forget all the bands that open for them.

Over the course of the next year and a half, My Name's demo tape For Cryin' Out Loud and first cd, Megacrush, had wandered into my music collection and earned an impressive amount of stereo time with which to address my braincells. They grew on me and I became hooked. In September 1992, my friend Rob and I drove several hours to the Indian Summer Festival at Moses Lake just to see My Name live among 30 other bands scheduled to perform on two different stages. This time they left an impression alright. These guys play the brand of tight, from the heart (and the 'nads) rock 'n roll that only truly skilled and inspired musicians can play. I've tried to attend as many of their live shows as possible ever since.

Hailing proudly from Tacoma, WA, My Name is one of those bands you cannot, no matter how hard you try, paint into a categorical corner. The musical stylings they've appropriated topple the borders between funk, jazz, rock, spoken word, vocal harmony, and good old-fashioned punk rock.

Lead vocalist Abe Brennan sings about personal moments in his life with humor and honesty. 'Stole Abe's Shit' is an ode to some jerks who robbed the singer's house: "I Had records/punk rock records/Black Flag and Johnny Thunders too/They took all of them/and my Tascam 4-track/and I know I'm never getting any of it back.". This song goes nicely (as an autobiographical piece) with 'Another Token Protest' from My Name's previous release Wet Hills and Big Wheels. On that track Abe sang to the world about his night in jail.

Rocks for the Jocks in '96 is fast and furious. If you aren't paying attention, you could miss the first two tracks, 'It's a Miserable Life' and 'Six Years' both punk anthems clocking in at just under two minutes a piece. The disc's mix is tight and, as you may've come to expect from My Name, there are transitions galore. The band even saw fit to include a hilarious nameless track at the end of the album, about 40 seconds after the last listed song. On this track, Abe is singing to his ex-girlfriend who dumped him for another guy: "You have to know that I would never take you back/Unless of course, you actually tried to come back."

FYI: Much of the music on Rocks... was co-written with the band's former guitarist Trevor Lanigan, an excellent talent. New guitarist Fred Speakman fills the guitar void and seems to have melded nicely with the unique style My Name has created for itself and perpetuates to this day. Be sure to see these guys live if they visit your town. I'm not sure how often they venture out of Washington State, but I'm sure the nice people at Instant Records will tell you if you ask them.

-Mattro

1999 update: My Name the band is no more. Lead singer Abe Brennan moved to Colorado and is once again jamming out tunes with guitarist Trevor Lanigan in the band Wretch Like Me. They are on the Owned and Operated records label.