Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
For their debut EP Boy Genius tries to put up a convincing argument that they are not very good musicians. They escalate this fact by tossing in some rather low brow tunes including "My Girlfriend's In Love (With Superdrag). However, the bands CD is highly well crafted. Tom Appleton's guitar solos pay homage to the shredder metal styles of Steve Vai and George Lynch, something unheard of in punk. Even the group's lyrics have a surprising melody and maturity. With all the strengths, it only leads to one question, why the disguise? For artistic reasons? Doubt it. Still this a solid debut and if the band ever figures out which direction they want to go in as artists they could really put together something, um, grand. — Curtis Zimmermann (3 out of 4 stars) - All Music Guide
Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, Boy Genius is a three-piece pop-punk band. On their debut EP, they serve up eight poppy, hooky, and punk charged numbers.
Not wasting any time, "I Care (At Least For Awhile)" starts off with some chunky bass, hammering drums, and screaming guitars right from the beginning. Then the vocals come in, and the song really starts to kick in gear. The music is charged, full of well-crafted pop hooks and straight ahead punk rock, but the vocals do take time to get used too. They just don't sound like they go together with the music, at least for the first few minutes. After that, they fit nicely with the music. Once your warmed up on them, you won't even have to think twice about them once again. "My Girlfriend's In Love (With Superdrag)" blends their usual charged pop-punk with a truck load of humor. This song is so infectious you'll be singing and smiling within the first twenty seconds, and from there the rest is history. The song will grab you and never let go. Laugh and sing along with it, because it's too hard not too. "The Words Escape Me Now" lets the pop take a back seat, although it is still very present, and focuses on some fast punk beats. The drummer drives the song, pounding and hammering away on his kit. The guitar screams through the song, playing fast and furious, before slipping in a few hooks here and there, all while the bass slips in some meaty riffs. Not as infectious as some of their other numbers, but the song is like a sugar-buzz and will make you want to get up and bounce around. "New Conviction" is another fast-paced punk number that slips in some pop pieces to grab your attention and keep you listening. High energy punk, they must have had a lot of caffeine, sugar, and fun while recording, because this song is on overdrive as far as energy is concerned. Ending with "Man Of Honor," they finish off with a number that is equal parts pop and punk. Still not as infectious as the opening tracks, it does do a good job of getting (and keeping) your attention.
I'll give this disc an A-.
- Alex Steininger
Discography
EP's:
5 Songs
Last Grand Experiment
Currently at work on their first full-length LP
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
From the moment front man Tom Appleton hits the first kinetic crunch-cord and launches into another fervent anthem, there is no doubt that Boy Genius' music bleeds energy at it's essence. The band creates it's own original blend of punk, rock, and pop with a hyper-melodic punch.
Influenced as much by Jackie Chan chop-socky flicks as by his punk-rock heroes—All and Bad Religion—Appleton is a six-string dervish, whipping out stuttering, speed-bag rhythms and haymaker fills. With Dustin West's relentless drumming providing rock-in-the-glove reinforcement, Boy Genius' tunes pack a potent, punkish wallop. That hyper-melodic punch comes in part from bassist West. An exceptionally tuneful four-stringer, he roams the instrument's upper register, weaving concise, ear-pleasing melodies beneath Appleton's bruising onslaught. The band's infectious tunes have already earned them a strong following in the South East, and they hope to build on that momentum with some steady touring after the release of their first full-length album in 2004.
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