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Future Stars: Blood Brothers and Von Bondies

The Blood Brothers

Who: Brilliantly spazzy Seattle punk-metal quintet featuring pinched-nad shouter-singers Johnny Whitney (far right) and Jordan Blilie (second from right).

What: On their new album, Burn Piano Island, Burn, the band rock NASCAR tempos, turn-on-an-atom arrangements, and glockenspiel, subverting mosh-pit convention with Yes-like song titles (“Cecilia and the Silhouette Saloon”) and surreal lyrics.

Courting ControversyThe band insist that previous album references to “golden crotches” and illicit horse-human relations were strictlytongue-in-cheek. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, we should write a song about bestiality–that’ll be awesome!'” notes Whitney. Adds Blilie: “It wasn’t followed by a round of high fives or anything.”

Not Mach Enough? “I get the feeling that kids are kind of into us,” says guitarist Cody Votolato (center). “But they don’t want their friend to know. They’re both thinking the same thing: ‘They’re loud and fast, but kind of faggy.'”

The Von Bondies

Who:Bluesy Detroit foursome (below, jamming with the Datsuns) featuring Jason Stollsteimer’s depraved howl and guitarist Marcie Bolen’s heartfelt scuzz. Bolen (far right) is dating Jack White of the White Stripes.

What:On 2001’s Lack of Communication, Stollsteimer (far left) got his kicks telling us how long he’s been down–approximately two years. “At 19, the love of my life left me, so I started drinking, and eventually I woke up in a bathtub,” he says. “Then I saw the Cramps and Guitar Wolf, and that made we want to form a band.” The group’s major-label debut will be out “sometime” in 2003.

My Heroes Are Gone: “The people I look up to–like Screamin’ Jay Hawkins–are all dead,” says Stollsteimer.