Ahhh Sunday morning. The aroma of coffee. The crispness of cool morning air. The slightness of a hangover and the aversion to anything overly extreme or unmelodic. That's not to say this Chicago three piece can't crank it out. Oh they do. Plenty of amp worship going on here. Plenty of dynamics too which is what makes this a perfect Sunday choice. All the melody and melodrama with none of the guilt of feeling like a complete pansy.
Starting in 1997, these guys definitely pick up the torch dropped by their fellow home staters HUM. A good marriage of emotional indie (soo nerdy...they use words like hypoxia and photosynthetic), 90's alternative (though this album didn't come out til 2003) and crushing guitars amidst lumbering, almost lazy rhythms. Vocals at times remind me of later day Small Brown Bike. The song "For The Love Of Everything" reminds me of Dinosaur Jr. and some of the more somber moments bring to mind Chokebore and slowcore legends Codeine. If none of those name drops grab ya...well, I just don't know about ya then.
You can buy this album for $3 from Lovitt Records here as well as their most recent full length "Working Nine To Wolf" which I believe I originally found out about here.
I'm gonna take it easy on myself for my first real post back and just make it all videos. Cop out? Yep! Whatthefuckever. As I've stated both here and here, this band was a staple of my youth. I never got to see them a shit load but their style shaped both my future tastes in music and style of playing. And the New Years Eve show I talk about here... the first couple of videos are from that... I think...maybe not... Anyway, I don't wanna toot my own horn but I like to think that I lit the fire under this bands ass just a little to start making some of this shit available.
And sometimes it's not always fun. I won't bore you with details but the events over the last year and how many ever months have made me abandon this blog for awhile. Well, that and not having a computer. That said, I'm up and running again and should have my opinionated ass showing up around here a little more often than once a year.
This blog has been created to help shed light on possibly unknown or under appreciated bands. It's also been created to force my opinions upon you. Downloads are for review purposes only and us here at F1rst & 4oremost strongly encourage the purchase of reviewed albums and the continued support of bands/labels you find and enjoy here.
It also goes without saying that if one of these bands come to your town, go see them and support touring musicians by buying their shit or putting them up. You could also help by getting them hammered, by allowing them to make drunken passes at your mother or by looking the other way when they puke and/or piss on your favorite Barcalounger in your families den.
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