Brick + Mortar Bring New Meaning to Drum & Bass

Chicago – I recently was sitting in traffic, blasting the radio to drown out the honking horns, when a hypnotizing song started to play. It started off with an eerie melody, followed by a ghostly voice and a killer beat. The chorus seemed strangely ironic as I sat in gridlock: “Locked in a cage for a really long time, time, time.” When this meaty number finished, the WKQX 101 DJ announced the song was “Locked in a Cage” by Brick + Mortar. The next day I did a little research into this new band from New Jersey, comprised of Brandon Asraf, who mainly works bass and vocals, but tosses in some guitar every now and then, and John Tacon, who supplies drums, electronic samples, and backup vocals. Man, these childhood friends really give new meaning to drum and bass. Ba dum tisssh! But really, I find their unique sound thrilling and fascinating, and judging by the crowd reaction at their Chicago show at Subterranean on Thursday night, I am not alone. Although Brick + Mortar were the opening act for Morning Parade, it seemed that half the audience had come just to see Brandon and John’s awesome electro indie rock.

The guys started the night off with “Heat Stroke” and really got the room jumping. For being just a two-piece, the amount noise that these two produce is remarkable. Not to mention the energy they create! Brandon weaved around the stage, reaching out into the crowd, standing at the edge of the side stairs or on speakers. John jumped up and down, often encouraging fans to sing along or move to the beat, and many sing-a-longs were incited. At one point in the night, Brandon grabbed his DIY sign from the front of the stage. The front read Brick + Mortar in masking tape. He flipped it over to reveal the word “HEY” in big blocky letters. People began chanting “hey” with him and John whenever Brandon waved it up high.

Their set consisted mostly of songs off their EP Bangs, but the Jersey boys did toss in two oldies: “Move to the Ocean” and “For Yellow Walls.” Of course they played their single “Locked in a Cage,” and fans sang along word for word. Speaking of words, Brick + Mortar’s lyrics hold so much grit, and Brandon lets loose, with abandon, when he sings. For example, take the lyrics to the catchy, crowd favorite “No I Won’t Go,” which talks about addiction: “First there was blood, and then there were tears. I gave you my word, but I gotta run. Over and over, claim that I’m sober.” Song after song, Brandon lets his emotions and inner thoughts seep out over John’s staggering beats. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. John’s drumming and Brandon’s bass lines keep you moving even when the lyrics get dark. Plus, Brandon brought plenty of laughs in between songs with his wicked sense of humor.

The guys finished off the night with “Bangs,” but before they did, Brandon asked that everyone in the venue scream, “Brick and Mortar like there’s a hundred muthfuckas in here!” And we did. Brandon then wowed the crowd when he grabbed a drumstick and played his bass with it like a bow.

Brick + Mortar are currently on tour with Morning Parade. Check out their facebook page for tour dates. They’ll also be playing a few shows with Kongos and Manchester Orchestra and will be hitting up Lollapalooza over the summer. Brandon and John are set to release their debut LPSocial Studies on June 17, 2014, so keep your eyes peeled! In the mean time, you can purchase their EP Bangs, if you haven’t already.

(Photos by Sarah Hess: smhimaging.com)

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Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.

You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.