In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull (Wichita), the follow-up to 2009’s enormously successful Ignore The Ignorant, represents a physical return to the Cribs’ original band-of-Brit-brothers format—Gary Jarman on bass/vocals, his twin Ryan on guitar/vocals and younger sibling Ross on drums—after the departure of the massively influential Johnny Marr. The Smiths guitarist added sinewy guitar and a palpable sense of maturation to the Cribs’ already potent sound, and given the new LP’s blend of visceral raw-punk energy and full-bodied pop melodicism, Marr’s two-year tenure with the band left an obvious mark on it creative approach. Gary will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our recent feature on the Cribs.
Jarman: We have been touring for a while now and have learned that van touring is by far our favorite way of going about things. It’s not a statement or indie guilt or anything like that; it’s just a lot more fun. You get to hang out and listen to music and talk and watch the scenery. Plus, by the time you get to the venue, there is no chance of complacency. You are aware of how far you have traveled and want to make the best of it. Plus, it’s pretty funny showing up to the main stage at the Reading Festival and parking a tiny van next to all those massive buses. We kind of get a buzz from that.
Video after the jump.
