Sex On The Bitches
Dovevo fare il DJ

Home Festival 2013, ten to midnight. The Crookers are about to start, and it's hard to breathe in front of the Main Stage.
Half an hour to go, I decide to listen to the band performing at that moment; they're called Sex On The Bitches, playing on the stage of La Grande V, an emerging Venetian record label founded by the members of Rumatera - a staple in the Veneto rock scene and now recognized all over Italy.
Expectations aren't high, I discover by asking those present that the band has released an EP (you know, they play rock, I think it's punk-rock, I'm telling you it's rock, who cares as long as it makes noise, buddy, do you want a beer?) with 4 songs. Without much expectation, I move to the skeptic zone of the concert, the back area slightly to the side, where everyone watches with crossed arms, heads slightly tilted to the side and somewhat disdainful expressions. The singer has no voice, the guitarist knows three notes, there's no rhythm, what's with the keyboards, to listen to Blink 182 I'd put on the CD, etc.

And then, the epiphany. At the first notes, the atmosphere heats up and explodes into a genuine rock'n'roll circus, a colorful show with hugely obese dancers in inflatable suits, aliens, keyboards, and a lot of desire to party. During the concert, the band presents some of their songs and a riveting live-played dance medley.
There are five of them: Ganzo Moreno on vocals and rhythm guitar, Il Monti on lead guitar, Eros Pipinato (the only real name) on bass, Frank the Tank on drums, and Chupaa Fox on keyboards, bases, DJing, and various antics. After 35 minutes of rave'n'roll, I find myself dancing under the stage and have almost forgotten the Crookers.

With these premises, I awaited the release of the real album, and after six months, I was rewarded with Dovevo Fare Il Dj, the band's first LP. The packaging features a pair of giant breasts with headphones. Said like this, the music seems secondary (besides losing all female purchases), but after a first listen, the CD is cool, indeed, with a succession of colors and melodies winking at the radio, without ever descending into banal or déjà vu.

After the self-ironic and carefree introduction, "Pezzo di Nerd" starts with a rock riff, seasoned with DJ Tech's scratch (from Herman Medrano, another band under the same label), the first of a long series of guests. The track is instantly impactful and very catchy; the lyrics criticize today's teenagers (but not only), always connected to the web but never to the real world. Guitars in the spotlight, direct riff, rock'n'roll.

The title track arrives, and the first blast ensues. "Dovevo fare il DJ" is a small miracle, balancing between stadium rock, the best of Fedez, and pure disco atmospheres. An indecipherable mess? Not at all. The track starts quietly until the bombastic entrance of keyboards, hands in the air, then it gears up and completes itself in an anthemic (can we still say it? Let's say it) chorus steeped in irony. The video has almost 90,000 views on YouTube, it's tacky, full of breasts, and kitsch enough to fall in love with.

"80 voglia" is a nostalgic tribute to the eighties, with keyboards weaving past atmospheres making us almost think of a piece from thirty years ago. The band doesn't hesitate to personalize the piece with a brief almost dub break combined with Ganzo's rap. A little gem.

Then comes perhaps the most beautiful piece of the entire LP, "Attimi", the second single, recorded with the collaboration of Roberta Pompa, a very talented contestant from X Factor 2013. The ballad, a unique element in the album, highlights the vocals, in sweet duets, like tender kisses by the sea. The fifth track is the new recording of the previous EP's title track, "Made In Italy", a solid and brash rock song, much better than the first recording.
The sixth song and fourth single, "Voglio una pornostar" starts with a back-and-forth between voice and guitar leading into a hurried punk rock, with the best guitar attack and solo of the album. SOTB enlists the collaboration of Rocky Gio and Giorgio Gozzo from their elder siblings Rumatera here. To stay on theme, the following "Sasha Grey" is a love dedication to the famous porn actress, with the best lyrics of the album and a beautiful melody.
Just when you least expect it, the album takes a turn toward pure electronics with "Giu' Giu'", with almost rave-like sounds recalling the more famous "Pompo nelle casse" by Powerfrancers; terribly catchy, hands in the air and all on the dance floor. "Social Stalking" is another critique of Facebook addiction, and together with "Cattivo Esempio" forms a pair of pop-rock tracks giving a wink to the radio; brilliantly closing with "Il regalo del mio compleanno", with prominent guitars and keyboards (an exceptional keyboard solo) and a driving rhythm, with the last phrase of the album reaffirming the concept: "Mamma, voglio fare il DJ".
The band performs even better live, with all that show on stage and the energy of those still eager to consume the stage and those beneath it, but when the album ends, you can't help but hit replay.

Spirited, fresh, with something to say. A surprise.