The Bad Penny (beta)

There’s a very strong case to be made that so-called “dark rock” band Unto Others out of Portland is one the most exciting underground bands of the past 10 years. For those of us who hated the prevailing clean production style that dominated the 1980s, Unto Others have found a way to revisit that sound and plaster it with emotionally charged, melodically masterful licks.

That fact should’ve shone through in our extensive interview with frontman Gabriel Franco and The Bad Penny’s review of an Unto Others concert almost three years ago.

But both articles neglected to underscore the writing acumen of Franco, the lyrical brilliance he injects into songs that are–yes, catchy as hell–but challenge the listeners attracted to them with easily overlooked wit.

Take “Pet Sematary,” a song that references the Stephen King novel of 1983 and, presumably, the schlocky, same-titled film that followed. For most heavy-rock bands, shouting out the story about a graveyard where the dead are reanimated would be sufficient to establish or reiterate their (often faux-) “dangerous” cred.

But Franco, as he does with his remarkably smart handle on songwriting, takes the metaphor a step further. Rather than suggesting he wouldn’t want to be brought back to life for the obvious reasons on paper–one’s skin would be falling off, they probably wouldn’t want to be seen in public, etc.–he takes it a step further. Instead, Franco posits that the reason he wouldn’t want to be buried in a so-called pet cemetery is because that would force him to live his miserable life all over again:

“I don’t wanna be buried in a pet sematary/ I don’t want to live my life again/ I don’t want to live my life/ Oh, not again/ I don’t want to live my life/ Not again.”

A tip of the cap to Franco and his woefully underrated Unto Others. Stay tuned for a longer conversation with him very soon.