Local band It Burns mixes hard rock sound with bad boy attitude

Factoid:The rock band It Burns will be playing at 10 p.m. Thursday at Hangar 9. Also on the bill for the evening are 13 Complaints and Like No Other.

It Burns is one local band that recognizes the importance of following its instincts and playing the kind of music it’s familiar with. This means playing as if they literally were on fire.

The band took time out of its practice last Sunday to answer a few questions but mostly to talk openly about the previous week’s shenanigans at a house show in Farmington, Mo., and drink their beverage of choice – whiskey.

It Burns, which plays at 10 p.m. Thursday at Hangar 9, consists of Bob Shaw on guitar and lead vocals, Dave Raymond on guitar, Ray Martinez on bass and vocals and Evan Prieto on drums.

The group began when Shaw decided he wanted to form a new band. While at The Cellar sports bar, he invited Raymond to join the band after they struck up a conversation.

“They were playing “Ace of Spades” by Motorhead [on the jukebox],” Shaw said. “And he said ‘Dude, I can totally play this,’ and I was like, ‘Dude! That’s way awesome!”

Shaw met Prieto at a La Makita Soma show at Hangar 9 last semester, while Martinez came into the picture after he and Shaw met at the home of a mutual friend.

The personal preferences of the band are so diverse that it’s difficult for them to pin down one influence that covers the whole band. Imbibing in alcohol is one thing they have no problem agreeing on. How often they do this is yet another mystery even to themselves.

“During the week – a couple of nights a week,” Raymond said. “And on the weekend … ” Raymond looked to Shaw for an answer as to how often they drink on weekends, but Shaw buried his face in his hands and waved off any possibility of being able to remember.

It Burns describes its sound as “dirty punk” or “dirty rock.” In the past, the band’s sound has been compared to bands such as Motorhead and AC/DC.

“The Dwarves,” Shaw said. “Everyone keeps saying we sound like The Dwarves.”

The band’s subject matter in its songs leans toward the seedier side of life, which is an element the group is all too familiar with.

According to Raymond, the band’s key focus is debauchery.

“The kind of music that we play is a kind of stoner punk,” Raymond said.

“It’s nothing serious. It’s just more fun that way,” Shaw said. “It’s music to strip by.”

“Not drunk bastards, but have fun,” Raymond said.

Most of the topics the songs are of a sexual nature but are also about fighting, drugs and drinking. Martinez said there’s even a song about Tokyo, called “Kabuki.”

Another interesting feature about the band is its knack for improvising between songs. In a typical club gig, numerous guitar strings are broken, and depending on how hot is gets onstage, the band might take a break to suck down a cold beer or two. It’s during this time that Prieto’s talent for playing short but sweet drum solos comes into effect.

“There’s no dead time. It’s much more entertaining,” Prieto said. “A good show comes from keeping good time.”

The band also features two Gibson Les Paul guitars, producing a guitar sound reminiscent of Kiss’s Ace Frehley and Slash of Guns n’ Roses. Except now there are two of them, indicating twice the rock ‘n’ roll ferocity.

Late last year, It Burns released a CD demo recording of the band’s third practice that contains 10 songs. The CD, “Practicing the Raw:Volume 1,” was given out for free at an all-ages show in Murphysboro, and quickly ran out as a result of an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the audience.

Because of the increasing demand for a full-length, mastered release by the band, It Burns will be setting aside time at DigiDawg Records’ studio for the end of February. The debut album is expected to include the set of songs the band regularly plays at its shows plus at least two new originals. According to Shaw, the CD will be called “Unlawful Use of Amplified Sound.”

Otherwise, there are no concrete long-term goals other than to continually play both in and out of town, and have as much fun as possible during the process. For It Burns, it’s not just the sound, but a whole other frame of mind.

“We just want to be notorious,” Shaw said.