Washington, DC’s The Grey Area are on one of those career highs at the moment. Jason and TJ, guitarist and drummer respectively, debuted their new video with us in June and headline Vienna, VA’s Jammin Java next Tuesday night, July 19.
We’re charting their trajectory this week and today we pose that age old question…
There’s not a band today not influenced by either the The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. Citing Sgt. Pepper orExile on Main Street as a favorite album is music cliché at this point. Both are huge influences, though we debate between ourselves who was more influential. If you wanna rile people up at a party, raise that question: …Beatles v. Stones.
Jason: The Beatles songwriting has influenced everyone and every genre. They put timeless love ballads like “I Will” and unabashed sexual grunge tunes like “Why Don’t We Do It In the Road?” on the same record. “Because” to “The End” on Abbey Road is basically one long song that switches, tempos, keys, and tones effortlessly. The arrangements are complex, the melodies are timeless, and the records are so fun you wish you would have been in the studio with them.
TJ: The Stones’ attitude, sass, and courage set them apart. The Stones dressed in black, they were on the edge. Mick wasn’t your mother’s rock star—he scared you. The Stones toured the South when others wouldn’t. And Charlie Watts is a more solid drummer than Ringo. The Stones versatility is evident in that they could do edgy like “Sympathy for the Devil” or cut you emotionally with “Moonlight Mile.” Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed are albums that stand the test of time.
They’re both great bands, and our latest music video shows the influence. One reviewer said of the Ourselves music video, “Great harmonies, fantastic guitar sound, cool 1960s-style unplugged guitar, and Hard Day’s Night-style goofiness.”
We’ll take that comparison.
