Living Things: St. Louis Garage Rock Revivalists

Living Things are an American garage rock band from St. Louis, Missouri, known for their raw, politically charged sound and explosive live performances. Their major-label debut, Forward Retreat, produced by Steve Albini, garnered critical acclaim and led to extensive international touring in the mid-2000s.

Early career

The core of Living Things formed in St. Louis in 1999, centered around brothers Lillian, Eve, and Bosh Berlin. The band honed a confrontational, riff-heavy style in local venues, eventually self-releasing their raw debut album, Ahead of the Lions, in 2005 on their own label, DreamWorks Records imprint.

Breakthrough

The band's breakthrough arrived in 2005 with the single Bom Bom Bom from their DreamWorks/Geffen debut, Forward Retreat. The song's driving rhythm and anti-war sentiment found a niche on alternative rock radio and MTV, propelling the album and leading to tours with acts like The Strokes and Placebo.

Key tracks

Bom Bom Bom — This incendiary single became the band's signature track, defining their political punk ethos and receiving heavy rotation on MTV2.

I Owe — A standout track from Forward Retreat that showcases their blend of melodic hooks with gritty, distorted guitar work.

Let It Rain — Featured on their 2009 album Habeas Corpus, this song exemplifies their evolution into a more anthemic, garage-rock sound.

Monsters of Man — This later track highlights the band's continued commitment to social commentary within a tight, powerful rock framework.

Living Things released their second major-label album, Habeas Corpus, on Jive Records in 2009. They continued to tour and record independently, maintaining a dedicated fanbase drawn to their unvarnished rock energy and lyrical directness, a consistent thread through their career.

Fans of raw, guitar-driven rock should also explore similar artists featured on our site. The Strokes share a similar foundation in garage rock revival. The Vines offer a comparable blend of punk energy and melodic sensibility. Placebo aligns with their darker, thematic lyrical content and glam rock undertones.

The music of Living Things maintains a steady presence on alternative rock radio stations and online rock radio streams that favor gritty, authentic guitar music. Their catalog, particularly the anthems from Forward Retreat, is a staple on stations dedicated to the 2000s rock revival era.

You can hear the powerful garage rock of Living Things on various radio stations featured here on onairium.com, where their songs are regularly included in playlists focused on alternative and classic rock sounds from the 2000s.