The Singles Party: Le Butcherettes, ‘Your Weakness Gives Me Life’

Oh that, Omar Rodríguez-López and his various projects. The visionary multi-instrumentalist from The Mars Volta and At The Drive-In, is involved in another band, Le Butcherettes, that’s making some big noise in the music scene.

The band, formed and fronted by vocalist Teri Gender Bender in 2007, is a Mexican art punk band with Rodriguez-Lopez on bass and Lia Braswell on drums. The band’s latest single ‘Your Weakness Gives Me Life’ is currently the buzz track for a lot of taste makers right now, so Pop-Break’s Singles Party crew decided to tackle it.

http://youtu.be/H3C4NcaPQPk

Kelly O’Dowd: YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES. I’ve been living in my pop music world with my gay dance clubs and my indie rock from 2005. Sometimes, this singles party is the only view into what’s new out there. THIS MAKE ME HAPPY. YOU CAN TELL FROM THE CAPSLOCK. From this song alone, I will be checking out the rest of the album and you should too. You can’t go wrong with anything that Omar Rodriguez-Lopez does first and foremost, but the front-woman: *swoon.* She had my heart by the first verse. In a strange way, Teri Gender Bender reminds me of Courtney Love. Hear me out guys. Think about it, can’t you hear this band covering “Doll Parts?” We really need more women fronted hard rock (is that a thing anymore? “hard rock?”) bands. Especially if they are as amazing as Le Butcherettes are. Verdict: Add to playlist, then buy the album.

Nick Porcaro: Amusingly enough, “Your Weakness Gives Me Life” is a structurally weak track lacking musical life. I can definitely appreciate singer / guitarist Teri Gender Bender’s snarling vocals, as well as drummer Alia Braswell’s adventurous grooves, but that’s about it. The power of guitar and bass riffing in a song like this is crucial to its success; unfortunately, the uninspired performances and muddy tones weigh down the potential shown here. Teri’s vocal melodies aren’t particularly impressive, either, and apart from an intriguing bridge section there’s very little flavor to this track. Verdict: One and Done

Lisa Pikaard: I had no idea what to expect with “Your Weakness Gives Me Life” but at first it almost reminded me of a Garbage song. This music isn’t my scene but I gave it a shot. I appreciate vocal range and musicality that I can feel emotion in and connect with. This is lacking in both. The bass line is cool but almost overpowering. Other than that, the song is simple but it takes too long for me to feel the emotion in the song so there is no connection created for me. The simplicity, instead of demonstrating the talent of the band, this song makes me shrug and go ‘eh.’ I feel like this would have been a song I’d have listened to about a decade and a half ago, but now, not so much. Sorry Le Bucherette’s — Verdict: One and Done.

Jason Stives: Well this took me by surprise upon first listen. Le Butcherettes have been around for about 7 years but they are just finally getting to a second release and this is an interesting if not run of the mill taste of what is to come.

Teri Gender Bender has that kind of Karen O voice that compliments the wailing, up hill down hill nature of this track. It’s rather simplistic in its overall design but provides a continuous groove that feels like a mid concert number that anyone can let go to. “Your Weakness Gives Me Life” is a nice nugget of grinding and bludgeoning that you sometimes need to hear even if it isn’t the most comforting or dynamic.

I’m curious to see where their new album goes from here but no doubt it will be filled with the emotional anguish and fuzzy logic that this track has given here. Verdict: Add to the Playlist

Bill Bodkin: If you love female-fronted alt rock with an edge to it or if you worship at the altar of Omar Rodríguez-López — you are going to die 50,000 times in rapture over the song. If none of this tickles your fancy, you may still dig it. It’s got a great groove to it and the vocals of Ms. Gender Bender are fantastic. I’ll recommend this one for sure. Verdict: Add to the playlist.

Final Verdict: A close one, but we’re going to give this one our seal approval. It’s not mainstream accessible, but if you’re looking for something unique — this’ll satiate your alt needs.