Pictured: The A-Sides, turning the lights out when they leave.
The A-Sides write damned good music. Damned good. This Philadelphian foursome plays music that draws comparisons to The Beatles, The Strokes, and the parts of Ted Leo that you actually like to listen to. Yeah, that good. The Album, “Silver Storms” is full of all sorts of background vocal “ooooohs” and “aaaaahs”. It is full of sparkly guitar, and thoughtful organ. It will fill you with the green fear. OK, maybe not, but I just read that quote in the Odyssey, and thought it sounded sweet. No green fear here.
Maybe not, but there’s still plenty to work with. The A-Sides excel at making a great pop song, but never falling into a schmaltzy rut. It’s the best of both worlds, a band with substance that doesn’t mind taking off its thinking cap and letting its hair down. You want to live with this band in an apartment, play the game of life with them. Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but there you have it.
Also, don’t let the fact that this band is from Philadelphia fool you. These guys can get as epic as any weird icelandic or rural southern band you’ve never heard of. Try the beginning of the track, “Always in Trouble” for music to break up to your on-and-off girlfriend to. It will stay “off”, I promise.
It’s a tribute to a band who isn’t content to stay on the same level. It isn’t to say that many, many bands don’t operate at a high level anyway, but there’s just something that I enjoy about a band who regularly takes artistic chances with their, well, art. it’s a credit to the band that these guys tour with Pinback AND Ted Leo. That they were already making great records when they made this one. Please buy it somewhere. Anyway, I’m including a song from their stellar 2005 release, “Hello, Hello” too, mainly because peervalidated was just a twinkle in God’s eye at that point, and I don’t want to penalize anyone for our sloth.
This is “Sidewalk Chalk” from “Hello, Hello” Great, Beatles-Strokesesque Pop (2005)
This is “Cinematic” from their new album, “Silver Storms” Listen for the sweet vocal breakdown at 3:00 and the subsequent “bassery”. (2007)
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