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The ferocious growl that emanates from the depths of Brody Armstrong's being is enough to make a tractor-trailer's engine sound like a soft purr.

Combine that with the band's talent and you'll understand why the Red Hot Chili Peppers want the Distillers as an opening act and why the Distillers are on tour with No Doubt. The Distillers have the stage to themselves Saturday at the Loft in Poughkeepsie.

"We've done more of our own shows than No Doubt shows. We've done three, and the first one was nerve-wracking 'cause it's a production," said Andy Outbreak, drummer for the Distillers. "Definitely bigger than the Warped Tour. It was crazy."

"Tony, No Doubt's bassist, came to one of our shows in L.A. I guess he just cruises around and checks bands out," Outbreak said. "We got the call the next day."

The Distillers consists of Outbreak, lead singer/guitarist Armstrong and the singularly named bassist/vocalist Ryan. The band's self-titled debut was released in 2000; its sophomore effort, "Sing Sing Death House," came out in February.

Since the beginning, the band has been plagued by comparisons. For instance, because Armstrong, a 23-year-old Australian, is married to Tim Armstrong of the band Rancid, they have been compared to Hole vocalist/actress Courtney Love and her late husband, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana; even Armstrong's gravelly growl has been likened to Love's. In addition, the Distillers have been called a female-fronted Rancid and Armstrong a gold-digger.

Outbreak said the band has learned to deal with it. "Everyone's gonna talk, and for reporters it's easier to do comparisons than actual research, but we're going for it because we're into it," Outbreak said. "People need to listen to us to find out what we're all about."

And listening doesn't take too much time. All 12 songs time in at less than 29 minutes and are short and blatantly to the point -- just like the band. "We're not about bull----," Outbreak said. "We just wanted to make a good record and something we like."

Running the gamut of emotions and topics, many of the songs on the record pertain to Brody's chaotic past.

"('Sick of It All') is a song that any kid can relate to. It's about them getting pigeon-holed and doing the same thing, and it's about them dealing with frustration," the drummer said. " 'Bullet and the Bullseye' is about one particular person. ... It would be funny (though) if they knew it was about them."

Talking about the show at the Loft, Outbreak said, "We're more at ease in smaller clubs. The way I see it is, I like it when we're in their faces and they're in ours."

By Sandy Tomcho
Times Herald-Record
stomcho@th-record.com

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