The Chicago power pop trio known as Gidgets Ga Ga is offering all the singalong choruses and jangly guitars you’ve been missing since the Gin Blossoms broke up. The band’s guitarist and songwriter Michael Flores has been the stalwart behind the band’s DIY work ethic; heavily promoting and managing the band on his own via online means such as OurStage. Despite lacking an overdone, expensive production value the band’s LP The Big Bong Fiasco is straightforward “no nonsense” pop that shows off the group’s raw talent. This week’s free track “Beki” is bound to get stuck in your head the same way you can’t forget the the lyrics to the theme song from Friends. Sometimes a little nostalgia goes a long way.
Rock ‘n’ roll and drag share a long history —during the age of glam metal things got pretty sexy between the two. Just ask New York Dolls. Then, with arrival of Marilyn Manson, the relationship just stopped being fun and started getting weird. So it’s nice to come across a band that’s not afraid to put on some wedding dresses and tear through the streets like a pack of hirsute brides, but who definitely aren’t looking for a long term relationship with their feminine side. In fact, if Readymade Breakup is bending anything, it’s genre, not gender.
If you only listened to “Back to the Bubble,” a gritty little scorcher that comes out like a kick to the teeth, you’d think Readymade Breakup was bluesy garage band accustomed to playing behind chicken wire. Same thing with “Honey You Might Be Right.” But then you’d be neglecting to consider the excellent “One By One,” which bears a passing resemblance to Tom Petty’s “Running Down A Dream” in the beginning but then breaks into an epic power rock chorus that leaves “Running” choking on its dust. There’s also “Starting to End” with its salvo of wiry guitars —a soaring power pop gem that’ll make the bands on Fueled By Ramen jealous. So, yeah, it’s nearly impossible to stick a label on Readymade Breakup. Which is great, cause sometimes labels are (ahem) a drag.
Sir Henry Hotspur Percy’s contribution to history was leading an unsuccessful siege against King Henry IV, thereby giving rise to the term “hotspur” — meaning a rash and hotheaded man. A mere 600 years later, a band from Rockville, Maryland has taken the name and given it an update. These days Hotspur signifies something less headstrong, more heartstrong. Think soaring power pop that leads a successful siege against moderation. Sweeping pianos, chugging guitar distortion, dancey rhythms and epic choruses all combine to create a radio ready collection of storm and stress, love and loathing. On the single “Chandelier,” front man Joe Mach oozes obsession as he sings, “You’ve made it crystal clear / You are the chandelier / And I am the floor beneath you / So low I cannot reach you.” A verbal craft master, Mach injects the music with a good dose of drama, making each line crackle with emotion. But lest you think Hotspur is a band of boldfaced romantics, they do sell booty shorts through their merch store with the tagline, “Drop it like it’s Hotspur.” Sir Henry would be proud.
