As is the case with all collegiate rock, influence rules. The Hoboken band Rage to Live introduced me to the great, brave, sordid novels of John O’Hara (he wrote one called Rage to Live).
Rage to Live was founded by Glenn Morrow, who was a writer for New York Rocker magazine, and a founder of Bar None Records (Rage to Live’s first album was Bar None’s first release).
The only song I could find from them was this tuneful thing, which is distinguished by its assertive vocals mixed up high, and a genuine organic hook. This music dates from the mid 80s, a time when disco and hardcore and synthpop were tearing up the world of rock. This is a time when I listened to a lot of music from Jamaica and Africa, but also a time when smart pop-rock bands like Yo La Tengo, Rage to Live, the Silos and many others emerged.
They sounded awfully good.
I bought my share of Bar None records, but I don’t know this band.
1) Sounds very dated today. So many bands have squeezed all the juice out of this kind of sound at this point.
2) The singer looks about as un-rock-n-roll as humanly possible. And he tries so hard to look like he’s rocking hard. Almost like a parody or something.
Agree on #2. I don’t know about dated, it’s a good tune, but my problem with most of the power pop stuff is that it’s short on the power. Someone should have done a song called “Permission to Rock,” which would start like this and then ask permission and take off in the middle into real rocknroll territory.
Was thinking about this song this afternoon and it actually reminds me of this little stinker I used to play in a cover band long, long ago with some chick lead singer. Muy stinky.
http://youtu.be/ioiiMuKkMTU
Yikes. I’ll try to post the Fun No Fun song “Kiss Me Stupid.” This is too intellectual.
Pingback: Tenement, Garden of Secrecy | Rock 'n' Roll Remnants