Music
Press
"'Introducing' clocks in at three songs, eight-and-a-half minutes, six disarmingly addictive hooks and 320 embarassing, living-room air-guitar moments. In other words, 'Introducing' is the kind of thing for which New York City or Manchester bands get hailed as 'next big things ...'" - Justin Hopper - Pittsburgh City Paper
"Black Tie Revue is moving toward the top of the list of Pittsburgh Bands Most Likely to Succeed." - Scott Mervis - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
On their recordings, their sound is camped out somewhere in between the Cars and the Stooges, but in their live performances the influence of groups like the Beach Boys is apparent. It's a slightly grimy, smirking version of the Beach Boys, but one that retains the kind of tasty classic pop sensibility that makes Black Tie Revue the perfect candidates for, say, a Tiger Beat cover story. - Margaret Welsh - Duquesne Duke
Pittsburgh's Black Tie Revue purvey classic power-pop and have gained renown by virtue of their winning live performances. Old time rock 'n' roll will never die. - Tim Follos - This Weekend's Top Stop: Rock for Charity
"In just over a year of live gigs, the band's sound has gone from polluted rawk to the kind polished raw-yet-poppy lurch that makes zine editors salivate all over their pin-encrusted messenger bags these days." - Justin Hopper - Pittsburgh City Paper
"The evening began in earnest at the Lava Lounge, where Pittsburgh's Black Tie Revue were the weekend's best surprise. A quartet with tough melodic songs and plenty of kenyboard/guitar interplay, the group played rousing power pop culled from their upcoming Gearhead Records debut, 'Code Fun.'" - Uncut Magazine Online
The guys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Black Tie Revue have a sound that is decidedly unhip and uncool...both of which are impressive in this little corner of the internet. Instead of playing modern noise or (c)rap hop, these guys play hard power pop in the same general vein as some of the best bands from the 1970s. The appropriately-titled Code Fun is one great big danceable ball of catchy fuzzpop. This 10 song mini-album is a great introduction to a band with a real future ahead of 'em. The vocals sound superb. Pure feelgood tracks include "Red Everywhere," "Call Waiting," "Too Much Thinking," and "Absent Radio." Ultra positive pop with punch - Babysue.com
The Pittsburgh-based band Black Tie Revue proves that good music doesn't have to be complicated. Code Fun, the band's first full-length release, contains 10 songs full of clever lyrics and catchy hooks packaged around plenty of power chord punch. Taking a cue from the Ramones, only three tunes run over three minutes in length. "Red Everywhere" opens the album with a steady guitar riff reminiscent of "I Wanna Be Sedated" by the Ramones. What follows is plenty of attitude and I-don't-care angst in tunes like "I'm So Sure" and "Call Waiting." The release of this album comes at the perfect time to make it a summertime cruising music fixture. Listening to any of the songs on this album will result in lowered car windows, higher stereo volume and heavy gas pedal syndrome. Isn't that what power-pop music is supposed to do? Damn straight. And Code Fun does it so well. You'll have a heck of a time getting these tunes out of your head, not to mention your CD player. Code Fun is Code FUNtastic. - Howyouspinit.com
Boys next door (if you live in Pittsburgh) toss off ebullient guitar pop highlighted by an overactive organ and loaded with choruses that are never less than infectious. - Spin Magazine (June 2007)
Simply, this is one of my favorite records of 2007 thus far. Simply, Black Tie Revue = CLASSIC, classic power pop. It's all here. Glammy, buzzzy 'n cool chord changes and bubble-gummy melodies inside a sharp, loud guitar sound with lots of handclaps and sing along choruses. Black Tie Revue successfully mix the top-40 rock sound with classic hooky pure pop riffs, and their vocals fit the style of music perfectly. Straight-up rock n` roll melodies, laced with power pop charm Hell, for these ears, this one will not lose its luster. Fans of classic Silver Sun, The Lolas, The Fags, Tsar and all kinds of favorites here. Its always a good sign when you cant find any weak song on an album and when you still want to dance while the last notes of the very last song are playing. BTR pummel through high octane power pop that crunches and massages the ears at ever turn.
There`s overwhelmingly catchy vibe here as songs splendorously drift from power-chorded anthemics to more open chorded sounds to sweeping, accessible and good-natured melodies---all wrapped up with memorable choruses you can just picture singing along to, fists pumping in the air in that great little downtown rock `n roll club you should be going out to more often than you are! HUGELY RECOMMENDED!!!! - NotLame.com
Discography
April 17, 2007 - Code Fun (Gearhead Records)
01. Red Everywhere
02. I'm So Sure
03. Code Fun
04. Call Waiting
05. There's Nothing Wrong With Veronica
06. Vegas Sticks
07. Too Much Thinking
08. The Late Show
09. All of the Fish in the Sea
10. Absent Radio
January 28, 2005 - Introducing Black Tie Revue (self-released)
01. Code Fun
02. Absent Radio
03. Vegas Sticks
Photos
Bio
Black Tie Revue is a band based on the rush of ironic irresponsibility that comes with your 21st birthday and that first legitimate Jagermeister; on the thrilling social U-turn when the young, awkward and geeky start beating off girls like A Hard Day’s Night. Black Tie Revue is about your first band being hailed by people like Scott McCaughey (of Young Fresh Fellows and R.E.M. fame), who saw the band while in town playing with R.E.M. and immediately offered to produce them; or garage-rock legends The Cynics, who put BTR on their South By Southwest showcase before Black Tie had even released a single. Black Tie Revue is about having your hometown newspaper call you Pittsburgh’s “most likely to succeed” less than two years after first playing a lick together.
In other words, Pittsburgh’s Black Tie Revue is everything great about being young, geeky and American: Addictively hooky, powerful, flagrantly irresponsible three-chord pop songs, loud guitars and new-wave keyboards, and a whole lot of jumping around.
Don’t take our word for it. Check out Introducing Black Tie Revue, about which Pittsburgh City Paper said: “It clocks in at three songs, eight-and-a-half minutes, six disarmingly addictive hooks and 320 embarrassing, living-room air-guitar moments. In other words, Introducing is the kind of thing for which New York City or Manchester bands get hailed as ‘next big things’ …” We guarantee that 30 seconds into “Code Fun” you’ll be standing on a table, wiping bourbon off your chin and laughing out loud that somebody in 2005 could make rock music so damn perfect.
It hasn’t all been easy for Anthony Badamo (vocals/guitar), Matthew Hanzes (bass/vocals), John-Paul McCormick (guitar/vocals), Jesse Ley (keyboards), and Paul Felty (drums). In 2004, Black Tie Revue had the majority of its gear stolen over several separate incidents, watched one co-founding member move to Las Vegas, and stood helplessly on the side of the highway as their van – and another set of equipment – went up in flames. But they know that rock 'n' roll is their destiny, so it’s never been hard to keep going – from Little Steven’s Battle of the Bands at the Stone Pony, to New York City’s legendary Tiswas club night, to South By Southwest in Austin and CMJ in New York, to gigs with everyone from Death From Above 1979 to the Von Bondies to the Raveonettes to M. Ward.
In August of 2005, BTR recorded their first LP, "Code Fun," with the Brothers (!!!, Radio 4, Oxford Collapse) at their Brothers Studio in Brooklyn, New York. The album was released on Gearhead Records on April 17, 2007, and is drawing rave reviews from every corner of the world.
- JH (with revisions by MH)
Links
