Here's some recent CD reviews, by category.
Punk:
Boys Like Girls – Boys Like Girls (Columbia)
Like the third tier grunge bands that were thrown on the band wagon just miles before it officially ran out of gas in the mid 90’s (I’m looking at you Candlebox), Boston’s Boys Like Girls is proof that the music industry is casting one last wide net trying to grab the last remaining emo/pop-punk bands that were somehow overlooked over the past couple of years.
Churning out heart-on-their-sleeve pop songs with as much creativity as they put into choosing their moniker, Boys Like Girls deliver less than a dozen quickly forgettable teenage crush tracks on their debut. It’s hard not to pass a cynical eye over the band that seems like they were put together in the back room of a Hot Topic. They fit the mold perfectly, complete with asymmetrical hair cuts and go-to producer Matt Squire (Panic! At the Disco).
Churning out heart-on-their-sleeve pop songs with as much creativity as they put into choosing their moniker, Boys Like Girls deliver less than a dozen quickly forgettable teenage crush tracks on their debut. It’s hard not to pass a cynical eye over the band that seems like they were put together in the back room of a Hot Topic. They fit the mold perfectly, complete with asymmetrical hair cuts and go-to producer Matt Squire (Panic! At the Disco).
Indie:
Imperial Teen – The Hair The TV The Baby & The Band (Merge)
If you haven’t heard of Imperial Teen by this point, you likely never will… and that’s your loss. Fronted by former Faith No More keyboardist Roddy Bottum, Imperial Teen plays power pop like few others. It’s no coincidence that almost every mention of the band is followed by a few lines about Fountains of Wayne, who formed around the same time, clear across the country; both groups play smart, catchy power pop unlike any other bands. The only big difference is Imperial Teen’s boy/girls vocals.
The Hair The TV The Baby & The Band is a reference to the other jobs held by members of the group (hair stylist, TV music writer and mother). This, their fourth record, shows Imperial Teen still writing brilliant pop nuggets as catchy as anything on their first three outings. It’s hard to find a stand out track on the album, as each are nearly flawless, but “Everyone Wants to Know,” which sounds like the last great song The Breeders never wrote, is destined to be a band classic. It’s been five years since they last put out a studio album. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another five more years for the next one.
If you haven’t heard of Imperial Teen by this point, you likely never will… and that’s your loss. Fronted by former Faith No More keyboardist Roddy Bottum, Imperial Teen plays power pop like few others. It’s no coincidence that almost every mention of the band is followed by a few lines about Fountains of Wayne, who formed around the same time, clear across the country; both groups play smart, catchy power pop unlike any other bands. The only big difference is Imperial Teen’s boy/girls vocals.
The Hair The TV The Baby & The Band is a reference to the other jobs held by members of the group (hair stylist, TV music writer and mother). This, their fourth record, shows Imperial Teen still writing brilliant pop nuggets as catchy as anything on their first three outings. It’s hard to find a stand out track on the album, as each are nearly flawless, but “Everyone Wants to Know,” which sounds like the last great song The Breeders never wrote, is destined to be a band classic. It’s been five years since they last put out a studio album. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another five more years for the next one.
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1 comment:
Oh, thanks for the insights on bands I haven't heard of. :) Do you have the Imperial Teen CD...and may I borrow it?
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