It’s an unfortunate side-effect of our global culture that most foreign nations are unfairly reduced to their major cities and cartoonish caricatures instigated by film and TV. Rarely do we in the States catch an honest glimpse of Italy outside of images of Rome, Milan, and Naples, or experience much of their culture beyond Fiats, Fellini, and fettuccine. Lucky for us we have the all-too-infrequent exportation of bands like Bee Bee Sea—an idiosyncratic trio of psych-indebted rockers hailing from an obscure Lombardian comune—to keep us enlightened to the underrepresented vera Italia, which seems pretty similar to our own tradition of small-town ennui: “When there’s no good shit around, you better form a band!” is the motto the Castel Goffredo three-piece has come to define themselves by.
Having soundtracked a commercial for only one of the three aforementioned very-Italian things, Bee Bee Sea have come to establish their highly unique brand of playful garage rock following the release of their US-label debut Sonic Boomerang back in November, as well as a decisive European victory on tour opening for (Thee?) Oh Sees and (The?) Black Lips. With the announcement of their first American tour dates, including a stint at Pickathon in August, the Beeb are sharing their video for Boomerang’s wonky centerpiece, “This Dog is the King of the Losers,” in which the band—all dressed as canines—perform the track in outer space. What the five-and-a-half-minute video lacks in exposition it more than makes up for with deadpan executions of rhythmic guitar solos, dizzying displays of superimposition, and, of course, a surplus of capital-G, capital-B Good Boys.
Even if there’s other good shit around, it’s advisable that you catch these self-deprecating doggos when they come through your city, municipality, or grotto. Check out their US tour dates below the video, which, again, is about dogs in space.
Upcoming Shows:
7/20: Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere (tickets)
8/3–5: Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon
Sonic Boomerang is available now via Dirty Water Records USA.
