They might be the next They Might Be Giants or perhaps they'll follow punk icons like Blink 182, and yes I hate calling that latter band "icons." Their best bet, however, may be becoming the first ever Front Bottoms. That's a good thing. The quirky duo of Brian Sella and Matthew Uychich have been playing shows throughout New York City and New Jersey rigorously in support of their recently released self-titled album. Getting back to the "first ever" part, the Front Bottoms are hard to pigeonhole into one genre because their pop-meets-rock-meets-punk-meets-everything-else sound sets them apart from others you've seen perform live at a low-dough show in Manhattan.
Nothing against Uychich, who drums like a madman -- usually shirtless, the uniqueness of The Front Bottoms comes mostly from Sella, who admits he's not the best singer ever nor the best songwriter. Watch below as the Bergen County duo, who've known each other since grade school (they even played in crappy talent shows together), along with a third member you can Google after watching them perform "Mountain" The performance was filmed within a practice studio at the Music Conservatory of Westchester in White Plains, NY last month.
"Mountain" Live and Interview:
We leave the New Jersey Turnpike, and travel to Brooklyn courtesy of a Black Taxi. How's that for a terrible segue? The band of that name are currently touring in support of their second full-length album We Don't Know Any Better which was released earlier this month. The four-piece of Ezra Huleatt (vocals, keys, trumpet), Bill Mayo (guitar/vocals/triangle), Krisana Soponpong (bass), and Jason Holmes (drums/vocals) have been together since 2007 and have been slowly gaining notoriety by having their songs played on various television shows, and earning new fans by touring regularly. The foursome traveled from the East to West Coast by car last year. Some of their music is reflective of living that rock-and-roll lifestyle such as the song "Tightrope" in which they performed on A-Sides within a Conservatory studio last month.Watch it below, and listen to the interview. Or better yet -- watch and listen to both the song and the words that come after it. Enjoy the ride.
"Tightrope" Live and Interview:
About A-Sides with Jon ChattmanJon Chattman's music series features artists (established or not) from all genres performing a track, and discussing what it means to them. This informal series focuses on the artist making art in a low-threatening, extremely informal (sometimes humorous) way. No bells, no whistles -- just the music performed in a random, low-key setting followed by an unrehearsed chat. In an industry where everything often gets overblown and over manufactured, I'm hoping this is refreshing.