I saw Hate In The Box perform at Arlene's Grocery one night when I was there to do a story on another band. I find many interesting acts that way. The great thing about indie rock in Manhattan is you never know what to expect when you go out to check out live bands in the clubs on the Lower East Side. Sometimes you find something that is worth more than the six bucks that you are paying for a PBR with a Jack back (that is a Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can and a shot of Jack Daniels) and other times you just get pleasantly drunk.

Hate In The Box is billed as an Industrial/Goth/Progressive band and is fronted by Rainbow Blight. Rainbow is at the very least "interesting" in a visual sense with her trademark, painfully orange hair and (as if it matters) she also looks pretty good in a leather halter and shorts. The trio is rounded out by Optimus Crime who plays axe synthesizer and Teddy Krueger on guitar. They describe themselves on their Myspace page as, "Theatrical and comical, they are an anime rock band brought to monstrous life." Hmmm, ok that says it as well as anything I guess.

As I recall that evening I kind of, sort of enjoyed the band but my recollection is a bit fogged. I know I met Rainbow somewhere along the line and probably attempted something like an interview before being dragged off to the Three of Cups by some friends for the remainder of the night. All I really remember is that I woke up the next morning with a copy of their three-song demo CD in my hand. That was enough though to inspire me to give them a mention here.

 I met the band sometime last summer and I still have the CD. Even though it was badly mastered (sorry guys, but it was) and kinda grainy sounding I fell in love with one song on it. That song is titled Sunday Best and is just friggin' great in my opinion. It is like some kind of really well tuned Punk anthem and at the same time just plain in your face aggressive enough so that it will never see radio airplay. Ok, never seeing mass exposure may suck in a commercial sense but good music shouldn't be written from a commercial perspective. Good music should be something that just kind of evolves itself into existence as it is composed and I think this is that sort of song.

Sunday Best has the word fuck in it so many times that the bleeps would outnumber the actual music bits if you tried to edit it for airplay. But all those fucks aren't just gratuitous attempts to be cool or whatever, they are so integral to the song that it wouldn't be the same song without them. It is a song about attitude, or "a little girl with a big attitude" to be more precise. Rainbow's voice is at one moment little girl pouty and in the next hardcore, jaded New York Socialite scornful and really this song is made for her. For me it is an instant classic and a song I will keep around for a long time. Check out Rainbow and the band on their myspace page.