The Bad Ends - “Thanksgiving 1915”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 3

Pairs Well With…Five Eight, Big Star, R.E.M

I’m not going to complain when an R.E.M. offshoot sounds a bit like old-school R.E.M., proved in The Bad Ends’ 2023 debut The Power And The Glory. Original drummer Bill Berry is the aforementioned member here that powers The Bad Ends, an Athens band also featuring Five Eight frontman Mike Mantione. In what is basically an Athens dream group, The Bad Ends embrace power-pop and alt-country influences into a moving core sound. What immediately stands out on The Power And The Glory is the tightness in their songwriting and melancholy rock performance. This doesn’t sound like aging rockers looking to kill some time with friends, rather The Bad Ends deliver a complete piece of songs that are memorable, both in jangly garage pop moments and more sparse material like the stirring “Left To Be Found”. Bill Berry specifically is such a touchstone of R.E.M.’s success and it’s exciting to hear that notion still apply all these years later. The Bad Ends may be a ‘supergroup’ by definition, but given the quality of this debut, hopefully the band continues into more than a one-and-done this year. Check out The Bad Ends on Friday night at Antone’s on a solid bill for New West Records. (Kevin McStravick)