This article is about the band. For the musical, see Blood Brothers.
The Blood Brothers is an experimental hardcore band formed in Seattle, Washington, USA in 1997. Members are: Jordan Blilie (vocals), Johnny Whitney (vocals), and Morgan Henderson (bass), along with Waxwing's Cody Votolato (guitar) and Mark Gajadhar (drums).
The band is considered unusual in that it has two dedicated lead vocalists. In addition to this Cody and Morgan perform back-up vocals. Recent albums ( ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn and especially Crimes) have featured a degree of experimental instrumentation: Morgan often deviates from bass to add a second guitar or synthesiser, and also utilizes laptop technology. Johnny has added piano/wurlitzer to many more songs, a process which actually began on "Time for Tenderness" from This Adultery Is Ripe. He has claimed he always wanted to incorporate such instruments into the Blood Brothers' sound, but only on signing with a major label prior to ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn did he have the means to do this .
The genre the band fall into has been described as punk, hardcore, post-hardcore, spazzcore and even extremo and Sasscore (see Alternative Press Issue from October 2005). In small circles discussions of the band related with the concept that they have influences from the No Wave punk scene of the 1980's. The band makes wide use of various punk/hardcore vocal styles (i.e. screaming) and instrumentation (i.e., fast drumming and plentiful power chords). While two 'lead' vocalists produce a unique spectacle, the onstage aura they produce is due in great part to the band's musicality. Blilie and Whitney's voices tend to overlap in the style of punk guitar rhythm/lead arrangements. The two vocalists contrast each other to good effect: Whitney's voice is generally accepted to have evolved from the slurred, venomous drawl on This Adultery Is Ripe to the insanely high-pitched squeals ("like a child being tortured ") heard on Crimes, while Blilie's has maintained the same low, robust ferocity throughout so that his screams continue to stand out in much of their material. Some of their influences include Drive Like Jehu, Angel Hair, Highway 61, and Bootsy Collins. Currently, they are also in sideprojects Neon Blonde and Head Wound City, the latter also featuring members of The Locust and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Whitney performed vocals for the now defunct Soiled Doves.