que bien!
| from richmond.com - 06-03-2002 |
Kid Get
Hip
J Rawls
Iron Compass Records
If you suspect Kid Get Hip might be as impish as the cover suggests, you're right. J Rawls' sophomore effort skips along in a math-pop playground of tempos and time signatures, reveling in indie artiness and post-punk schizophrenia with the wild abandon of 10-year-old boys. But where little boys make a mess and don't pick up their playthings, J Rawls keeps it clean, tight and utterly engaging the whole ride through.
Unpredictability is the root of Kid Get Hip, and you get a good dose of it on each song. The opening track, "Ordinary Day," unleashes a power pop fracas of zig-zagging guitars, whirling keyboards, energized vocals harmonies. Singer/guitarist John Majer is all punk snottiness as he quips, "Exciting, isn't it?" Using guitar or vocal harmonies to smooth epileptic tempos and time signatures is the most nimble turn of J Rawls' songcraft. The band's jumpstart antics make for some seriously fun listening, and there's plenty to be had of them, from the Jimmy Eat World doppelganger "Lipstick" with its angular riffage and throaty vocal thrusts, to hyperfunk craftiness of the snaking title track. The band hits its stride on the crunch and glide of "Tools You Use" and gracefully builds sinuous keyboards and subdued vocals to frantic guitar and drum palpitations on "Simply Is Simply Done." "She Said I Said" is a particular head-scratcher, a sort of indie-reggae jangle with playful vocal chants and vibes.
But being playful and odd is what makes Kid Get Hip such a giddy joyride. "It's a perfect test to study less/It's a simple rule: follow through/A midget shoe shine hair cut/An octopus's hug. There's got to be a reason you're reasoning's so good," sings Majer on "Kid Get Hip." If you can't get with that kind of quirk, stay off the schoolbus.
-Kate
Bredimus
Lucy Loves Schroeder
Lucy Loves Schroeder is a pop/punk band from Dallas, Texas. Citing influences from such pop groups as the Muffs and That Dog to punk groups like the Ramones, Lucy Loves Schroeder blends the tempos and attitude of punk with the melodies and sensibilities of pop.
Founding members Sara Radle (guitars and vocals) and Andrew Binovi (bass and vocals) met in San Antonio as members of a musical group for a theater performance. The band formed in 1996 while Radle and Binovi were still in high school. Lucy Loves Schroeder quickly built a following by playing local clubs and parties. They released a self-produced and self-manufactured (the inserts and custom cloth sleeves were assembled by hand) CD in 1998.
Noticing the scene in San Antonio dwindling, Radle and Binovi relocated to Dallas in 1999 to find a larger audience. It was in Dallas where they met Rob Schumacher (drums and percussion), who had recently relocated to the Dallas area as well. Schumacher had played in several punk and hardcore bands in both the Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky scenes before moving to Texas.
Once the new lineup was in place, Lucy Loves Schroeder started playing as many shows as possible. They were approached by Grade Nine Records at a house show in Denton, Texas and were asked to record a seven inch single. The EP "Seven Inch Jellyfish" was released in 2000 on the local Denton label.
2001 marks a banner year for Lucy Loves Schroeder. The band was nominated for Best New Band by the Fort Worth Weekly, while Radle won the award for Best Female Vocal. At the same time, Radle also received a nomination for Best Female Vocal by the Dallas Observer. 2001 marks the release of "Lucy Is A Band", their debut for Beatville Records. The band went on their second tour during the fall and looks forward to more touring in 2002.
-Lucy Loves.com
