Imaginary Bill

Their Weezer / Beatles / Splitsville / Radiohead sound is top notch, and this album is thick with winning tracks. Imaginary bill is miles ahead of all of the self proclaimed emo bands saturating the radio waves today. There must be a place for this band. Really really good stuff.
-Popbang

- Popbang

Imaginary bill are constantly compared with The Beatles, those doing the comparisons conveniently overlooking the fact that the intervening years have given us the likes of Big Star, The Posies, Guided By Voices, Fountains Of Wayne and Weezer. It is into that lineage that Imaginary bill should be placed, and they’re a perfect fit. Power-pop, indie-pop, call it what you will, where ‘Breaking The Ground Loop’ scores is in adding imagination to an over-exposed template. It’s no stretch to imagine ‘Charles M.’ underscoring a happy ending in ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’, while ‘Ceasar Romero’ could soundtrack a thousand break-up scenes. They use their imagination so you don’t have to.
-Cliff Roberts

- Logo Magazine

Jagged and foreboding, this is not your father's power-pop. Sure, it's no-frills guitar-bass-drums, catchy tunes, big choruses, and all the rest of the hallmarks that us hook-ridden junkies know, coddle, and embrace. But it's also unpredictable, with dissonant melodies that rattle and clang, song titles such as "Polio", "Doped Up", and "O.C.D." and brutal lyrics, e.g., "A father stabs his son to death/Is overjoyed for silence in his mind." In short, Imaginary bill is the kind of band that writes real potent Beatles-Oasis-Radiohead styled guitar rock but then turns around and skewers it just enough to scare off the jangle pop wimps. Be nice to these boys and maybe they'll let you live. -Brad Harvey
- The Big Takeover

Woo-hoo! This is a great record, and you know I don't say that often...Rouach's arresting, surreal lyrics ("Carnival horses...wishing for sugar/they can't eat with plastic heads"); the band's fresh, often surprising arrangements; and a palpable swagger in the performances and recording, rescues Imaginary bill from the ranks of mere retro posers. This is the real deal, kids! Hard for me to pick a fave from a dozen winners, but that's what they don't pay me for, so I'll toss out "Clark Kent," "Wash," "Bottom Feeder," the aforequoted "Pantomime Horses" and "About Her Toupee" - how's that, boys? The only thing more surprising than the quality of this record is the number of gigs this ostensibly Brooklyn-based band play on Long Island; makes me wonder if I should give the suburban wasteland a second chance...nahh. Fans of Robyn Hitchcock, XTC, Elvis Costello, Blur, the Wannadies, etc. should take special note of a special band. -Jim Santo - Demo Universe

Ib has some hyper energy probing the hype. It's an example of a lot of explosives packed in a little bag. The cd might only be 35 minutes long or so, but songs like 'Donnie and Marie O.C.D.' really kick with the beat and distorted guitar rhythm. 'Obsessed with my compulsion, I'm forever counting 1 2 3 4, turn the lights on till I break the switch.' Blatantly catchy 2.5 minute song that needs to have college radio stations lit up with requests. Just one word of warning. This is one of those bands that sometimes names the songs the part that isn't the most often repeated. So - stay alert! Great thing about this group - besides the loud and continuous motion, hot playing and Steve's remarkable voice - is their sense of humor. 'About Her Toupee' could come from the 60s because of the wild arrangement and thick sound and novelty subject. 'She thrust upon me when I flew somewhere, she swarm around me like a bird of prey, she said the strangest things be strong, be seen, bee's for the may queen, be sure, be brave, be sore about her toupee.' Yeah, titles like 'Tom Brokaw,' 'My Rusty Trombone,' and 'Tell the Ice Cream Man to Wait' show you the ride you're in for. Isn't it great to hear alt-playing like this without the posing and mock-heroism of rock? It all begins with 'Clark Kent,' vaguely reminding me of 'All the Young Dudes' from Bowie's stable. But the words - oh, no. 'Peel back your grape, it's okay, freed from your pod, grim facade, you turn me off when you turn me on, what it is worth to save the day.' Would be worth a gas tank to get to NYC and check 'em out live. -Ben Ohmart (Assistant Editor)

- Music Dish

I'm happy to say that I have absolutely no reservations about recommending this one to the more indie-inclined DFB readers. The three songs on Special are brilliantly written, beautifully arranged and immaculately produced, and after a solid week of listening I still can't wrestle this sucker off my stereo. The first track, "Cookie," is a wonderfully catchy indie rock song with a lineage directly traceable to the quirky melodies and venomous lyrics of Elvis Costello; the song's melody is as catchy and gigantic as a Cheap Trick stadium rocker, but it's still chock-full of all the heavy guitars and punk influence that we expect from our indie rock. The title track follows "Cookie," slowing down the tempo and expanding upon all the things that were so great about the opener. I've gotta admit, though, that my favourite song here is "Corduroy Dances." I dropped a lot of Who comparisons in my review of Imaginary bill's first album, but this song is so eerily similar to more laid-back tracks like "The Kids Are Alright" and "Substitute" that I'm checking online databases to see if this is a cover. The guitars in particular are brilliant, heavily distorted but fiddling around almost exclusively with the instrument's higher registers. The drums and bass are also brilliant, sparse but with a distinctly danceable groove that I just can't get enough of... a mature, sophisticated pop band worth any and everyone's attention. If you were intriged by the Verve-ish numbers on the last Vines record and want to hear heavy but trippy indie rock done right look no further, Imaginary bill are your band. -Daniel
- Deep Fry Bonanza

A long-time favourite of Liverpool's Shout FM student radio, this NYC three-piece finally arrived on our shores to the satisfaction of the lucky audience members who turned out to witness this rare appearance. Imaginary bill benefit greatly from their unique style of rock. There's an intimate facet lurking underneath the boldly laidback grooves, which creeps out through the intense energy of the band's varied set. Leading songs from their excellent new album ('Breaking The Ground Loop') include 'Charles M.' and 'Bleed', both of which reveal the band's distinctive chord progressions and rhythms. Singer Steve is a natural leader, and the New Yorker brings stance and style to a type of rock that is not only contagious, but also of very high standard. Imaginary bill are a band for the discerning music enthusiast. (The album is available through cdbaby, and you can take advantage of the current exchange rates!)
-Rory Sutherland
- Live Magazine

We love what we do and hearing bands like Imaginary Bill suddenly pop up on our radar brings into focus the `why` of what Not Lame does. This is guitar-driven power pop, big on hooky, riff-driven incantations, lovely layered vocals over the driving backbeat and relentless `take on all comers` sequencing of the 10 songs here [...] Extremely Highly Recommended! (June 2004) - Not Lame

available at www.imaginarybill.com - various