On a scale of 1 to HOLY SHIT, how realistic would you say the music you listen to is? Probably not all that realistic. That’s okay. Meet the gentlemen who tore the writhing genre that is realistic music from the womb of rock.
GYROJETS is Sam Higgins and Richard Glenn Schmidt, two young bucks in the prime of their lives with an aching desire to spray their noise all over your face, dragging you over the hot coals of their super-catchy hooks in the process. On guitar, Schmidt laces together solid riffs and masturbatory shredding, switching gears from fast fun earworm material to dream-like psychedelic runs over the course of a handful of seconds. All the while, Higgins keeps the shit together with his ever-accommodating percussion, indulging in the occasional and never unwelcome breakdown. Plop on top of all that lyrics straight out of an 80s movie marathon fever dream, and you have the crunchy, bewildering realistic music of GYROJETS.
GYROJETS jams largely exist in a space uniquely their own, forged of raw, unpolished hooks, pop-culture references, and lasers. Yeah, probably lasers. What comes out the other end of the music-making meat grinder is something like late 80s, early 90s alternative rock, recalling the unbridled enthusiasm of Sonic Youth or The Breeders, with a splash of space rock thrown in for good measure. Their songs owe a clear debt to the free-form and experimental jam sessions from which they undoubtedly spawn, moving from one section to the next, eagerly sinking into frenetic noise or back to the familiar core melody of the tune. Much of their music is punctuated by fun, often ridiculous vocals, sometimes in the form of repeated chant-like phrases (“Napoleon! Broplexx! Broplexx!”, “You’re not ghost pizza!”), occasionally spoken word meditations on frozen soft drinks, and every now and then just singing along with the guitar part. Vocal duties are shared by Higgins and Schmidt, and are always enjoyable, recalling Devo or The Aquabats!
As a live act, GYROJETS is part band, part performance art. Higgins and Schmidt are all stage presence, with constant banter between themselves and with the audience. The two feel at home on stage. Though not quite playing characters, they slip into exaggerated alter-egos, putting on a show without holding back. And their musical chemistry is immediately apparent, feeding off of each other with a visceral energy and instantaneous understanding. The show is what a live performance by the Blue Brothers must have been like, but with less blues and more The Genre Is Blues.
The icing on the GYROJETS cake lies in Schmidt’s fascination with film, resulting in a series of music videos, shorts, and promotions, further solidifying GYROJETS’ avant-garde/pop-art/performance art presence. Looking like VHS tapes that have been duplicated one too many times, and featuring songs and extended soundtracks by GYROJETS, these films offer a window into the madness of Schmidt. And they are all hilarious nuggets of gold.
GYROJETS can be found on Bandcamp, on Facebook, and on Tumblr.
GYROJETS music videos can be found on Richard Glenn Schmidt’s YouTube.
