(Get Hip)
Having come by this record as I have, you too could claim that your long withered faith in college radio had finally been revived. Only commuters (and people who populate the Great Plains) probably know the sheer desperation that eventually forces one to stray from hitsville stations with their booming signals to obscure places on the dial seeking stimulation and relief. Well, the goosestepping commercial radio programmers can have their "Sin Blossoms" and "Mounting Crows" (sic) because there's new hope off the beaten path. And that's precisely where the Subsonics live...for the moment.
Sired in clubland Atlanta, where on any given night there remains a healthy and weird mix of genres on display, the Subsonics revel in the all-tarted-up, looking-for-some-place-seedy side of town. With wound up and distortion-free guitar lines and a drum kit that's forever pounding out clean, understated 4/4-isms, the Subsonics could make Lou Reed smile if that were ever possible. Because since the Dream Syndicate went away and R.E.M. got serious, the progeny and champions of the Velvet Underground are not quite as readily apparent as they used to be.
Singer Clay Sterling Reed's (hmmm) vocal posture is half leopard skin rant and half insectiod drone. But even during the finest moments of his distinct warbling, he has to compete with the vintage twang of his guitar. Once fused though, the two elements brilliantly carry these songs through their all-too-brief paces. Unlike the low-fi prattle of current indie heroes (with the noted exception of Guided By Voices), the Subsonics know how to shift between riff and melody like seasoned pros - knowing a nice slice of verve when they concoct one, and knowing when to leave it behind them, pristine and memorable, and move on.
For a text, it seems like they're more apt to lift chatter and observations from the local diner than bother the pensive nothings of a Dolores O'Riordan diary. Blatant snipes like "I Made You A Clown" and "I Didn't Think You Could Take It" make Clay seem to enjoy dishing dirt as much as fingering his...er, six string.
Perfect for parties or the pause between Bush replays, the Subsonics are far deft at giving listeners such a cool sendup such at this and remain forever an unknown quantity. Get yours now.
For further information on Get Hip, contact 412-231-4766 or check out the web page at http://www.gethip.com
