The Yes We Cans
Bellevue, Nebraska, United States | SELF
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The Yes We Cans
Better Days
(self-released)
This Colorado Springs quartet mixes just the right Sixties-style garage rock and classic country flavorings into its tuneful power-pop. “Vampire Girl” and “You and Me” are fast, crisp rockers; “Messages” is an energetic country-styled farewell to a past love. The band blends its rock and country touches beautifully on the title track, and adds some tasty Farfisa-style organ to “A Place to Hide” and “Motor City Anthem.” On that last track, The Yes We Cans also offer this message for our times: “Things will turn around, my friend/This I promise/Hold your head up high/Give it time/Don’t give up on the power of a little faith.” Throughout Better Days, guitarist John Sayers sings with youthful brio, lead guitarist Brandon Rogers adds the right touches while always putting the song first, and bassist Sean Beedle and drummer Troy DeRose come through with the right groove every time. And the band’s overall energy and enthusiasm never falls short. My favorite local release of 2011. - KRCC - Radio Colorado College - Music Reviews - Delvin Neugebauer
The Yes We Cans
Better Days
(self-released)
Fonda isn’t the only band with a disc in KRCC’s New Releases rack titled Better Days. The Yes We Cans, a Colorado Springs-based group, has used that title for its debut CD. The quartet mixes healthy amounts of Sixties-style rock flavorings and just the right classic country touches into their melodic power-pop songs. The instrumental “Sunburn” kicks things off with sinister, spaghetti-Western guitars over light cymbals and percussion; “Vampire Girl” upshifts that sound into high gear, with John Sayers singing his warning about the girl his friend is seeing: “I just can’t stand by/While this vampire girl drags you down into her world/Her empire of pain and misery/That bitch will bleed you dry of all the happiness inside/Until there’s nothing left to you but apathy.” “You and Me” features crisp tandem guitars and handclaps over a springy rhythm. “Messages” is an energetic country-styled farewell to a past love: “You’re married now and have a family/Despite your protests, I don’t feel there’s any place for me/Though you keep on calling, and I feign I’m so busy/I have your messages/And my memories.” The band blends its Sixties and country touches most effectively on the title track (despite a somewhat clumsy guitar break). “A Place to Hide” works as the disc’s centerpiece track: Brandon Rogers’ lead guitar echoes Sayers’ vocal line elegantly, and the band members lay some excellent vocal harmonies over Farfisa-style organ. That organ sound shows up again in the closing track, “Motor City Anthem,” along with the uplifting message, “Things will turn around, my friend/This I promise/Hold your head up high/Give it time/Don’t give up on the power of a little faith.” Throughout the disc, Sayers sings with youthful brio, bassist Sean Beedle and drummer Troy DeRose always make sure the rhythmic attack is right for the song, and the band’s overall sense of energy and enthusiasm (not to mention its tunefulness) never falls short. So, are better days on the way? That’s always hard to answer, but in the meantime, The Yes We Cans have provided a batch of good tunes to enjoy. Check it out. - KRCC - Radio Colorado College - Music Reviews - Delvin Neugebauer
Opened for: Tokyo Police Club
Where: The Black Sheep, Colorado Springs, CO
If you like: Voxtrot, SSLYBY
Listen to: With Headphones
Website: http://www.facebook.com/#!/theyeswecans
From Colorado Springs, The Yes We Cans showed that they can play with the best of them. Refined with kicks and hooks aplenty, the future looks bright for this trio. Though the free three song CD-R they gave out pre-show doesn't have all the studio shine of an official release, the sound of a band beginning to find their identity and make something coherent makes it that much more endearing. "Vampire Girl", the first track, shows that The Yes We Cans know how to construct a catchy chorus. It also shows that maturity because they know that with some restraint and use of anticipation, the chorus can be that much more gratifying and surprising when it does finally kick in. The guitar harmony is done with precision and could likely be stuck in your head all day. It's not full of synths or special effects, but the simplicity of what The Yes We Cans created here is refreshing in a musical landscape full of a "more is better" mentality. Look for more material from The Yes We Cans in 2011, and if what they have already is any indication, headlining soon in a city near you. - What Was Their Name Again?
Discography
Better Days (May 2011)
Photos
Bio
The Yes We Cans are an indie rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. The quartet is made up of John Sayers (vocals, guitar, organ), Brandon Rogers (guitar, vocals, mandolin), Sean Beedle (bass), and Greg Hartnett (drums, percussion, vocals). Their music is a bright blend of 60s British Invasion rock, punk, surf, and swing. Infectious hooks and harmonies complement their energetic and dynamic pop songs.
The band formed in August 2009. Sayers, a Detroit-area native, had been writing songs and recording demos while moving around the United States before he arrived in Colorado. Soon after, he formed what would eventually become The Yes We Cans with Troy DeRose on drums. Beedle and Rogers, of Richmond and Omaha respectively, rounded out the lineup.
After writing a handful of songs, they played their first show just two months later. They spent the following year writing songs and playing as many shows as they could along the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies, slowly building a fan base.
The Yes We Cans have played with established bands such as Hellogoodbye, Tokyo Police Club, Flobots, Hugo, These United States, and the Mystic Roots, as well as up-and-comers Wild Moccasins, the Photo Atlas, and the Redwood Plan. When the band caught the attention of the Denver Post, they were added to the Underground Music Showcase, one of the largest indie music festivals in the western US. In February 2011, Greg Hartnett replaced DeRose after moving from Chicago.
The band's positive attitude, more often than not, reflects on the bright side of life.
Their first EP, Better Days, was released May 2011. It was rated as one of the "Top 40 Albums of 2011" and "Best Local Release" by Delvin Neugebauer of KRCC, Radio Colorado College.
Band Members
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