Every young band searches for a distinctive sound. For the Brooklyn-based quartet Makes My Blood Dance, that quest is over. In a remarkably short time – they’ve only been a band for a year and a half – they’ve developed a sonic and stylistic signature that’s theirs, and theirs alone. They’ve pitched their tent at a heretofore unexplored intersection of disco, glam, electropop, and metal, and they’ve come up with something that would sound equally appropriate on a dance floor or at a roughneck rock club. Metal and EDM are both styles that get crowds moving, and the members of Makes My Blood Dance are nothing if they aren’t fire-starters. They’ll borrow whatever they can and fit it into their unprecedented amalgam, and in the process, they’ll get you jumping.
“Beaming Right Up” is a bracing example of what this band can do – and a promise of great things to come. Songwriters Evan Russell Saffer (lead vocals) and John Polimeni (guitars and synthesizer) have crafted a track that’s somehow menacing and alluring; it hits hard, but it coaxes and soothes, too. Saffer’s performance has the confident swagger of a showman and punk sneer of a ruffian who’s up to no good and isn’t ashamed about it. The members of Makes My Blood Dance have found ideal collaborators, including producer Kallie Marie, who has worked with hard rockers Explosives For Her Majesty, recording engineer Paul Ritchie of the Parlor Mob, and hitmaking mixer David Ogilvie, whose many credits include Skinny Puppy, Rob Zombie, and Marilyn Manson. These are all specialists in over-the-top, gonzo sound: they’re musicians who understand drama and flash and the occasional necessity of playing things rough. They know precisely what Makes My Blood Dance is after, and they’ve helped these young musicians realize their vision.
As explosive as this record is, it’s the concert stage where Saffer, Polimeni, and the rhythm section of Alexander Nikitin (bass) and Carlos “CK1” Guidera (drums) really excel. Nothing can prepare listeners for the pure, dangerous pleasure of the live Makes My Blood Dance experience, but Derek Soto’s video provides more than a hint of the heat these guys can bring. There’s plenty of footage of the band in action in the video. Just like their music (and their handle!), their visual style strikes a perfect balance between disco cool and hard rock menace.
