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In Defense of Hermano

Among the league of Kyuss offspring (Queens of the Stone Age, Brant Bjork‘s solo stuff, Mondo Generator, Slo Burn, Unida, and so on), John Garcia‘s work with Hermano usually gets the shaft in terms of appreciation. We all know it’s not ever going to be Kyuss again until Josh Homme decides it is, and I think since Hermano are playing desert rock, they’re too often saddled with unrealistic expectations. Is it really fair to say to someone, “Hey buddy, write ‘Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop’ or you suck?” I humbly submit it is not.

True, Hermano‘s second record, 2005’s Dare I Say, which was released on MeteorCity, was mediocre at best with some successes and some flops, song-wise, but anyone who overlooked the nigh-spiritual desert introspection of 2007’s …Into the Exam Room simply missed out. “Kentucky,” “Hard Working Wall,” “Our Desert Home,” and others not only showed the songwriting capability of the band — because Hermano is a band and not just the John Garcia Show — but a growth and maturation of the desert rock style that many acts choose to ignore. 1995 was almost 15 years ago. Get over it already (this from the guy who’s trying to convince his wife to plan a trip to The Netherlands to see Goatsnake at Roadburn 2010).

Give Hermano another shot. Here’s a live video for “Exam Room” from Paris in 2007. Pretty much the whole …Into the Exam Room record is on the YouzTubes, so it’s not like you need to shell out cash or anything to hear it.

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One Response to “In Defense of Hermano”

  1. goAt says:

    John Garcia can sing the fuckin’ phone book and make it sound like gold.

    Anybody listen to that band that is Unida minus Garcia?

    Didn’t fuckin’ think so.

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