Heavy Artillery

NEW YORK'S A.R.E. WEAPONS TAKE IT TO THE STREET

The A.R.E. Weapons are a downtown band, but the New York City of their songs is a strange realm somewhere between Grease and Blade Runner, with teenage love, apocalyptic street gangs, and knife fights. "I got my blade. I got my lady, gonna touch her on the hand and give a little kiss, like this," and "This is the end. I'm gonna die in this Benz." The music (a mixture of electronic drumbeats, feedback, symphonic synthesizers, and rough-hewn vocals) is atmospheric, if somewhat bleak. "It's like hip-hop today. It's not like Dr. Dre is going around capping people, but if people want to sing along to it ... " says band member Paul Sevigny. (Yes, he is Chloe's brother.) "I mean, do we need another fuckin' indie rock band crying about their miserable existence? We're trying to make people shake their ass." When the band's self-released demo, "New York ‡ Muscle," sold 10,000 copies in the first month, they knew they were onto' something. With their N.Y.C. cred well established, the Weapons are looking to the rest of the country. "I already know what it feels like to be hot shit in New York," says front man "Brain" McPeck. "Hopefully, we have what it takes to be the new favorite band of some kid in Michigan." Guitarist Matt McAuley adds, "Some kid in L.A. flipped his car last week listening to our record, and on the gurney he was screaming one of our songs at the cops. That's what we're going for—to touch people all OVER."

BRIAN THOMAS GALLAGHER

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