Bad Wizard

Although the differences between Bad Wizard and the aforementioned Keane are voluminous enough to fill several sets of encyclopedias, they share at least one major characteristic: a fundamental lack of originality. But unlike Keane, whose members clearly aspire to pop-music immortality, the Wizards, appearing alongside 3 Inches of Blood and...

By Michael Roberts

August 3, 2006

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Although the differences between Bad Wizard and the aforementioned Keane are voluminous enough to fill several sets of encyclopedias, they share at least one major characteristic: a fundamental lack of originality. But unlike Keane, whose members clearly aspire to pop-music immortality, the Wizards, appearing alongside 3 Inches of Blood and Early Man, have a more modest ambition -- to rawk every intelligent thought out of their fans' brains. And by that standard, Sky High, their new CD on the Howler label, is an unalloyed success. Produced by Royal Trux alum Jennifer Herrema, choice cuts such as "He's a Rat" and "Strawberry" offer a treasure trove of dumbness: the dueling guitars of Tina Gorin and Eddie Lynch, stegosaurus rhythms provided by drummer John Sherman and bassist Kurt Midness, plus Curtis Brown's throat-ripping, codpiece-straining vocals. Edifying they're not, and neither do they explore territory that's escaped the attention of stoner rockers who came before them. But for listeners wanting nothing more from a show than bludgeoning riffs presented with gusto, Bad Wizard has the magic touch.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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