When twin brothers Ben and Steve Tegel moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles, they knew exactly what to expect: glamour, glitz and the American dream. But they didn't find it.
What they did find was the opportunity and ambition to start a band with Ben Tegel's voice and Steve Tegel's guitar: a band that today is known as the Vacation includes bass player Eric "Dutch" Suoninem and is still in search of a permanent.
Like any young people making that first big move into the real world, the brothers began to question everything, from the Hollywood image to the consumer culture.
This journey of self-discovery is documented on the Vacation's debut album, "Band From World War Zero."
Lyrically, the album consists of the thoughts of a young man confused, skeptical and upset about the world around him.
The songs aren't overtly political; rather, they are personal confessions of uncertainty and statements of newly won beliefs that can lead to widespread ideas.
Musically, the album is masculine, aggressive and spirited. Reflective of the sleazy, grungy side of LA and rock 'n' roll revelers like Guns N' Roses and Motley Cr�e, the Vacation know how to have a good time, and it shows.
The album opens with "White Noise," a consideration on the complications associated with growing up in an age where we are bombarded with overwhelming amounts of information, much of which is contradictory.
Exasperated with the over-saturation of media, Ben Tegel hoarsely chants in the chorus, "White noise interrupts/No reception is good enough/White noise, turn it up/I'm too distracted; I'm out of touch."
While "White Noise" owes much to the glam of bands like T-Rex, the urgent "Make Up Your Mind" rips open with a scream in true 80's rawk fashion
The band tears through the next three minutes as if they couldn't stop if they tried, and wouldn't want to, anyway.
"Spiders" is a quick return to the glam with handclaps and Ben Tegel's teasing vocals. On the surface, "Destitute Prostitutes" seems to be a simple garage song about paying for sex. But underneath the big guitars and heart-pounding drums is an anthem for anyone marginalized by society.
"Cherry Cola" is the real song about selling sex: a succinct garage-rocker that takes on "The Man" by questioning the advertising motives of behemoth corporations: "When you drink from your Cherry Cola/What's it got that makes you so fine?"
The Vacation take on American society as a whole in "What's In It For Me," ultimately mocking and rejecting the self-serving attitude that is so deeply ingrained in our culture.
While every song on "Band From World War Zero" shows obvious influence from earlier times, "I'm No Good" sounds straight from 1987. It's easy to imagine the track playing on "VH1 Classic" accompanied with a big-hair, bright-shirts music video.
"Hollywood Forever" addresses the duality of the city experienced when the band made L.A. its home; the image versus the reality.
The glittering guitar riff evokes the glamorous image while Ben Tegel's rough vocals expose the sleazy reality.
Through all the serious contemplation, there's still time to talk about the complications of love. "No Hard Feelings" is the perfect song for dumping someone, with a punchy chorus that's to the point: "Hate to admit it, you'll never get it/We've had some fun, but I got to quit it/No hard feelings."
The last two songs on the album, "Liquid Lunch" and "Trash," return to the theme of social commentary. The former imagines a businessman who wants to just escape and drop out of society.
"Trash" re-examines the same American mentality studied in "What's In It for Me." Known as the band's "thesis song," the punk-inspired "Trash" attacks the disposable nature of our capitalistic consumer culture.
A vague reference is made to the New York Dolls song of the same name, as the music explodes under repeated chants of "Trash!"
If you're finally ready to admit that Axl will probably find Jesus before that fabled new GN'R disc sees the light of day, and you want music that will challenge your mind while still rocking out, you may want to consider a vacation with "Band From World War Zero."
