Portland, Oregon-based indie-rock outfit Bonus Room premieres their single, “Riot Gear,” a track from their forthcoming EP, entitled Bunk, which refers to the non-stop babbling of many political speeches. The term came from the mind-numbing speech given in 1820 by Congressman Felix Walker in Buncombe County, North Carolina.
Formed during the pandemic, Bonus Room is made up of Chris Lee (vocals, guitar, keys, percussion), Derrin Brice (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Wes Phillips (guitar, engineer), Erik Brownfield (bass), and Ben Dorothy (drums).
The band’s sound blends elements of post-punk, psych-rock, and dance-tinged doom, reflecting the group’s eclectic musical backgrounds.
When the band gets together in their basement studio, known as the Starlight Underground, they channel the impetus of everyone from the Talking Heads to Gorillaz.
The intro of “Riot Gear” features the voices of chanting protestors, and then rolls into a waying, almost teeter-tottering rhythm topped by quasi-discordant, chugging guitars that infuse the tune with edgy tension. The lyrics bare the combative disbelief found in CSN&Y’s “Ohio” and the foreboding disquiet of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.”
More than just a socio-cultural commentary, “Riot Gear” inhabits the gulf between the everyday and stark, mind-boggling reality.