14
SOUND CHECK
APRIL 13�20, 2022
WHAT’S PLAYING AROUND
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Johnny Vinyl: ‘Bryan’s Super Happy Fun Time!’
By Johnny Vinyl
For Go! Magazine
C
ollege radio of the 1980s,
which eventually evolved
into the “indie” scene of the
new millennium, was heavily
infl uenced by the underground/
college music coming out of
the American South. Bands like
R.E.M., the B-52s, Pylon, Green
on Red, Love Tractor, Let’s Active
and more took the punk and new
wave of the day and put their
“Southern” stamp on — and in
the process changed the music
as we knew it.
One can certainly take an
artist out of the area, but there
is something inherently unique
once music is infused with that
Southern vibe.
North Carolina native Bryan
Bielanski, formerly of the punk
band Angwish, now performing
as a solo artist, continues in that
LO S T I N E , O R E G O N
Bryan Bielanski/Contributed
Bryan Bielanski will perform April 28 at 7 p.m. at 40 Taps in Pendleton. The
North Carolina musician is on tour promoting his recent releases, “Bryan’s
Super Happy Fun Time!” and “Bryan’s Super Happy Fun Time! II.”
tradition with his 12th release,
“Bryan’s Super Happy Fun Time!”
On his website, Bielanski
describes his music as: If The
Beatles and Nirvana had a kid
together. That’s a pretty bold
statement, but by the end of the
73-plus minutes, the listener
has been given ample proof
that the description is actually
very accurate.
While Bielanski may not im-
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mediately sound like either of
the iconic bands, their infl u-
ences are subtly highlighted yet
never imitating.
Kurt Cobain’s songwriting is
what set him apart from most of
his contemporaries. He wrote
what he knew or witnessed, of-
ten with concise brevity. Bielan-
ski follows a similar format.
“My lyrics are largely autobio-
graphical but there’s also a bit of
fi ction thrown in here and there if
it serves the song,” he said. “I am
a fi rm adherent of Mark Twain’s
‘write what you know’ — if I’m not
writing about things important
to me in my life I feel it comes
across as insincere, which to me
is the biggest sin in music.”
And that is one of the things
that make “Super Happy” such a
great listen — there is very little
“happy” about the subject mat-
ter on the album. Catharsis can
happen by getting things out in
the open. Many listeners might
consider this a “therapy” album.
Case in point: “About My Life”
may be the perfect breakup
song, with lyrics like, “There’s
nothing right about my wife, like
a loser with no life. There’s noth-
ing right with my divorce, like a
killer with no corpse” — there is
little confusion as to the writer’s
stance, but somehow the pain
is what makes it such a compel-
ling track.
The Beatles connection is
also apt. For many, The Beatles’
eponymous album, more com-
monly known as the “White
Album,” is their best because
it off ers the widest variety of
music. “Bryan’s Super Happy Fun
Time!” provides the same eclec-
ticism musically. Everything
from acoustic ballads to punk
to electronica and all points in
between are given equal time on
the album. Literally something
for everyone.
Bryan Bielanski will perform
on April 28 at 7 p.m. at 40 Taps,
337 SW Emigrant Ave. in Pend-
leton. By the time he hits the
Round-Up City, he will have
released “Bryan’s Super Happy
Fun Time! II.” While it will be a
little more concise at 12 tracks
versus the 20 tracks on Part I, it
promises more of the same.
Take a little time with the
music and come to understand
how Bryan’s pain can be every-
one’s gain.
———
A retired educator, Johnny
Vinyl spends his days with his two
German shepherds, reading and
riding the vibe. His column fo-
cuses on music. Contact him via
tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com.