The first unsigned band to be featured on Britain's Top of the Pops, Scotland's Bis have endured a lot of hype throughout their career. British tabloids such as NME and Melody Maker trumpeted their arrival on the music scene in a fashion usually reserved for bands on the way out before their second single ever hits the stores. But, defying the odds, Bis have not only released their debut full length album, The New Transistor Heroes, but have succeeded in living up to the hype and accolades.
The New Transistor Heroes, released on the Beastie Boys ultra-cool Grand Royal imprint, is a wild joyride combining the original party fever of the "Rock Lobster"-era B52s with the breakneck pace which was a constant with the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and other bands crucial to the punk movement. Too wild to be pop, too organized to be truly punk, Bis combine the two genres with an experience which belies their youth.
Though Sci-Fi Steven, John Disco and Manda Rin have superhero names, the songs are firmly down to earth. "Tell It To The Kids" is the punk equivalent of Republica's "Ready To Go", while I'll dare you to stand still during "Everybody Thinks They're Going To Get Theirs" or "Sweet Shop Avengers. The eighteen tracks might blend together a bit, but there's enough standouts here to generate repeated listens.
The Teen-C generation, as the gen which Bis are a part of, offer hope that the future of fast-paced party punk songs will continue. There's a certain bit of irony in that the band - who are between the ages of 19 and 21 - weren't even born when the punk movement was getting started. Yet they wave the flag strongly today...
