July 23, 1980 review: The Motels and the Brains at Uncle Sam's

More almost forgotten New Wave bands from 45 years ago. At this point, I had a Sunday afternoon radio show on WZIR-FM and most likely was playing their records.

July 23, 1980 review

Regional Bands Prove

Rock Still Thrives

Will regional rock bands be a significant force in the ‘80s? Some prognosticators think so. While the record industry languishes in recession, local groups all over the nation are going it on their own at home, and the long-range results may prove most interesting.

The major labels have not yet been able to put across two of the country’s most prominent regional groups – the Motels from Los Angeles and the Brains from Atlanta. Only about 150 came to see them in Uncle Sam’s in Cheektowaga Tuesday night, primarily because they’ve had scanty radio airplay here.

The Motels, one of the three seminal L.A. New Wave bands, have been around in one form or another since 1974. Their sound – ringing dissonant guitar chords buttressed with hard rhythm and dense synthesizer – was sleek and sophisticated.

Though the early part of their set lagged, the band ultimately cut loose behind keyboardman Tim Gerard’s blazing saxophone solos and singer Martha Davis’ gruff alto, which fell somewhere between Grace Slick and Lene Lovich.

As female rockers run, Davis was more like one of the boys. She whacked out rhythm chords on her spacy blue guitar and bummed cigarettes from the guys in front.

Though she writes only some of the songs, emotionally they were all hers. Twisted little relationship songs they were. “Whose problem am I,” she sang over mock Spanish guitars, “if I’m not yours?”

The Motels were not without humor. Indeed, their double encore included Tom Fisher’s 1959 warhorse, “The Big Hurt.”

The Brains had the biggest independent release single of 1979, “Money Changes Everything.” They’re the brainchild of synthesizer player Tom Gray, who has taken that brittle disembodied sound of British techno-rock and breathed some warmth into it.

Gray was a remarkably intense performer, shaking with unreleased energy as he sang. In “Raeline,” a song about a girl who’s always on the phone, he stopped the rampaging beat cold with a synthesized busy signal.

He transformed “Gold Dust Kids” from early melancholy to a bellowing indictment. In “Girl, I Wanta Be Your Man,” he dropped to boom a bass drum under his keyboards.

For part of their double encore, the Brains revived the Rolling Stones’ ancient “Flight 505.” They’re a smart band, all right. If business were better, they’d be this year’s version of the Cars.

Incidentially, both bands, having toured in the current record-breaking Midwestern heat wave, were overjoyed to find Buffalo weather cool and wet.

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IN THE PHOTO: The Motels in an autographed Capitol Records promo photo.

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FOOTNOTE: The Motels were hardly an overnight sensation. At this point, they'd just released their second album, "Careful." After more lineup changes and a fling at commercial success working with producer Val Garay, co-founder of the L.A. studio Record One, singer Martha Davis dissolved the band in 1987.

After a hiatus from recording, Martha put together a new version of the Motels and released a couple more albums. They're still doing club dates and their website lists shows in the U.K. in June and California in August. Wikipedia notes: "Davis continues to tour and she lives on a 72-acre ranch (which has doubled as a recording studio for her) near Portland surrounded by her many pets."

Does setlist.fm have the songs from the Uncle Sam's date? Of course not. But they have 10 tunes from an appearance three nights earlier at Paradise Rock Club in Boston, Mass.

Days Are OK (But the Nights Were Made for Love)

Atomic Cafe

Closets & Bullets

Careful

Bonjour Baby

Whose Problem?

Celia

Total Control

Cry Baby

Envy

A date in Houston in October includes a few more: Kix, Slow Town, Danger, Party Professionals, Dressing Up, Anticipating, Porn Reggae and a cover of Jackie DeShannon's "Needles and Pins" for the finale.

The Brains, meanwhile, are not to be confused with the contemporary psychobilly band called the Brains, who are from Montreal. They only lasted until 1982, although Tom Gray continued playing and started a progressive blues outfit called Delta Moon in the late '90s. He died in 2021.