You might know him better as Jeff Terich, the guy you send your s----- demos to when you’re crossing your fingers that San Diego CityBeat doesn’t rip you and your band a new one in their annual “Great Demo Review” spread. But as soon as he comes home from a long day at the office, Terich throws off his tailored suit, wingtip Italian leather loafers and gold-rimmed Clark Kent specs and transforms into a gothic superhero -- at least, that’s how I always imagined the glamour of writing by day and playing music by night.
Terich’s stage persona, Jeffrey Cesare, is the singer and guitarist of the post-punk duo, Blood Ponies, a band that he started a couple of years ago with his wife Candice, who drums for the Ponies. Today, “Impose Magazine” premiered a music video for their new single, “Let Me In,” which is perfect timing, because they’re playing an EP release show at the Casbah on Thursday, Jan. 19, with Tropical Popsicle, Hours and Exasperation (the new project from Dave Mead and Garrett Prange of Cuckoo Chaos/Deadphones/Ditches fame).
But while you’re anxiously waiting for Thursday to roll around, check out the music video, directed by Adam Urban and Jeremiah Wessling.
The video actually features a cohesive concept -- rare these days, I know -- and a well-cultivated aesthetic. While the black-white-red color scheme plus duo performer combo might make you think of early White Stripes, you can quickly scrap that from your mind (as the video seems to have done with the protagonist's sanity). It's an homage to Roman Polanski’s 1965 psychological horror film, “Repulsion,” and the song is for listeners more inclined to gravitate toward Bauhaus and Joy Division.
While the Blood Ponies are not full-fledged horses quite yet, they show promise and they’re plenty bloody, so bravo, Mr. Terich, bravo.
Rutger Rosenborg was almost a Stanford neuroscientist before he formed Ed Ghost Tucker. He now plays in the Lulls and makes music on his own when he's not writing. Follow his updates on Facebook or contact him directly.
