Lifeguard Nights

"The South Jersey Seashore Lifeguard Convention Bands new EP packs two weeks worth of vacation experience into less than 20 minutes. Its got everything: summer romance, sunburn, getting wasted, sand, beach party, and a bad attitude. That last attribute is the most important. This aint no West Coast feel good, surfs up record. Were talkin Jersey, land of Springsteen and the Sopranos. Tramps like us, baby we were born to lose, lead singer / guitarist / songwriter Vincent Brue sings on Sandbox. Or as he puts it most eloquently on Chainsaw, Fuck today in the ass with a chainsaw followed by Fuck tomorrow in the ass with a chainsaw followed by noting that everyday of the week is lame, sucks and should receive the chainsaw treatment. SJSLC also understands the lure of the shore and like the Boss, finds poetry and salvation in the everyday moments. A simply sung quatrain like We took a drive, / Down the Jersey Coast, / Stopped at a diner, /Sausage, eggs and toast captures the sweet pleasure of the activity without unnecessary verbiage. SJSLCs music captures the wide range of holiday life from the silly to the sublime in fine fashion, and it rocks."
--Steve Horowitz - Popmatters.com

Last night’s action at the Mercury Lounge was delayed by a meddlesome major label showcase running late. The bands, however remained unfazed, each tearing up the stage with energy fit for welcoming the arrival of summer.

The evening began with the Lifeguard Nights, a summery, seven-piece pop outift who - much to the audience’s disappointment - eschewed their usual speedos for more traditional attire. Lifeguard Nights plays with an infectious satisfaction characterized by their lead singer’s indefatigable grin. As their universal good-will spreads through the crowd, onlookers find themselves singing along with the choruses or at the very least tapping their foot to the near-danceable songs.

Next up was Get Him Eat Him, who always put on an entertaining show. Heading off on tour after recording their second full-length album, the set that included a good mix of older and newer material – including “Get Down,” one of the better tracks I’ve heard so far this summer. Singer Matt LeMay’s bodily contortions seemed almost inhumanly linked to the stops, starts, and whirls created by his bandmates. Beyond simply performing, however, the band was charmingly exuberant, feeding off of their angular stage-motions and melodies.

Finishing off the night was Vic Thrill & The Saturn Missile. Psychedelic video sequences swirled behind the band as Vic & co. launched into their twisted, drum-machine fueled pop. At once reminiscent of 60s surf and a dark electrobilly, Vic’s set seemed to draw from both the angular charm of Get Him Eat Him as well as the summery satisfaction of Lifeguard Nights.

--Nathan - Limewire Music Blog

A vast improvement over the disappointing Doing Harm on Easy Street, After the Disasters contains the songwriting experimentation that made Vincent Brue's previous band - South Jersey Seashore Lifeguard Convention Band - such a gem.

Lifeguard Nights is sort of the acoustic/lo-fi version of SJSLCB, mixing sober-yet-appealing melodies with interesting and diverse deliveries. For instance, "Bastille Day" (not the Rush song) is a folky tune over whistling birds and clomp-clomp horse-hoof percussion. "The Fog" continues the hypnotic vocals and percussion but in a spacey, psychy atmosphere. The next one, "La Jolla," is a lo-fi Beck-like booty-shaker. And so on.

This is a BIG album with 16 or so tracks. Just about every song is pleasantly warm and fuzzy, with only a rare miss here and there (like the gruff Tom Waits meets honkytonk "Born in the Rain"). But so much of the album is excellent... maybe even genius? It's not a word I like to bandy about, but Vincent Brue can write. And play - the entire album is performed by him.

I know little about this guy and his bands (they hardly make a mark on Google), but their albums are breaths of fresh air after nearly drowning in a sea of mediocre promos. Track this one down. - www.readjunk.com

When I first put this album on, I groaned audibly at opening track ‘The Church of Song’ - a James Brown-doing-gospel-hallelujah-praise-the-lord piss take. I couldn’t be bothered with a re-hash of an old cliché and my finger was pretty much hovering over the eject button. The second track, ‘Amen’, however, changed my mind. With lyrics like “Jesus thinks you’re an asshole”, the song takes a wry and lyrically well-constructed pot-shot at most of the organised faiths. Indeed, not only does Jesus think you’re an asshole, but according to Lifeguard Nights, so does Allah, Buddha, Yahweh, James Brown and He-Man.
Singer and songwriter Vincent Brue sounds a bit like a comedy Bruce Springsteen, rapping effortlessly or singing his heart out on tracks like the brilliantly titled ‘I’d Prefer it if You Weren’t in Pornos’.
While Lifeguard Nights leaves the listener smiling at songs like these, ‘Spare Tire’ (about Springsteen himself?) and ‘In the Navy Now’, there is often a stark contrast to their more serious songs.
Tracks like ‘Shame’, ‘Everything is Falling Apart’ and ‘Nothing Left to Live For’, however, suggest a much darker, depressive side. These heartfelt songs are Brue’s tears of a clown and do show depth.
Whilst the lyrics are original, clever and well thought out, the juxtaposition between the amusing and the depressing sits uneasily at times. It’s still a very good album and well worth a listen."

--Chris Walker - www.isthismusic.com

Lifeguard Nights is a band who sounds like the Beach Boys with a bad attitude. This religion baiting debut is crammed full of sing-along summer harmonies and a tantalising hint that even in sunny paradise there is a dark underbelly.

Lifeguard Nights is the bastard child of Vincent Brue who was planning on going solo before he joined this indie band of eight similar souls. Instead of surf boards they wield keyboards. Instead of Speedos they wear Hawaiian shirts and shades. They also play an impressive amount of other instruments including guitar, piano, drums and make great use of percussion and that’s usually in the same song. Lifeguard Nights have created an album that proudly boasts happy pop choruses, a lo-fi sound and a mission statement to make you sing along with them whether you want to or not.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Lifeguard Nights try to spread summer joy in the coldest winter. You should respect their persistence because Vincent Brue (who was initially planning on being a solo artist) is a very witty lyricist and the harmonies that come from this band wash over your ears like hot soap. If you allow it, their music will get into the areas that not all singers get. So how else can I describe this band? I would say that Lifeguard Nights are not so much a band but an excuse to party on the beach with surfers and their blonde girlfriends. It would be a party on a Californian beach, because Brighton is wet and cold. But playing this album at Brighton might brighten (can you see what I’ve done there) up your day. The Church Of Song is an album that gives Vincent Brue ample scope to vent his frustration; it’s not all relentless happiness on this record. Sometimes, very rarely, Vincent Brue dips into murkiness, delivering insults with a joyous conviction such as on the second track on this album Amen with the religion baiting lyrics like, “Hey there Mr. Christian/Missionary position/And your Jesus fish bumper sticking/ Your beliefs down my throat/Well you go walk on water man.” It’s like The Beach Boys with a bad attitude. This is a great thing, of course.

The Church Of Song is a good album by any standard and Lifeguard Nights could be more interesting than they would have you believe if you want to join their party.

--Kirkland Ciccone - Subbacultcha

Vincent Brue sings, "Welcome to the church of song", and tells you that he's going to take you on a journey, and thus begins the Lifeguard Nights excellent debut album. Throughout the 13 tracks that comprise, "the church of song", this 8 piece band has fun tunes with a sort of hippie-pop thing going on. The songs are way too short to be jam band songs, but they have that kind of infectiously fun and peacenik vibe, and are insanely catchy. Trust me when I say this is an album you need to check out.

If I were the type of critic to write cheesy blurb quotes I'd go out on some silly comment like, "the church of song is the only church worth going to", or some such silly meaningless rubbish. Instead, I urge you to go to www.myspace.com/lifeguardnights and stream a couple of their songs and hear what I mean for yourself.
- blowupradio.tripod.com

"Another great one from this versatile songwriter. This album has a Bruce Springsteen vibe - pitch perfect bar rock with soul, Americana, and a sharp sense of humor. Very well crafted songs here, all recorded live in the studio." - www.readjunk.com

Lifeguard Nights- Calm Down, Chief! (myspace.com/lifeguardnights)

This is like, the fourth release from Lifeguard Nights in roughly a year and a half. You'd think by now the cream of the crop, as far as good songs go, would have been drained, but listening to "Calm Down Chief!" you get the feeling that it's just the tip of the ice berg as far as interesting, relevant, and attention getting songs. Quality and quanity are not lacking.

Opening with "Sunshine," which has a really cool alt. pop Dramarama vibe to it, Lifeguard Nights takes us on a musical excursion from the darkness into the light via a bouncy, catchy rhythm section. On "Old Jersey" a hitchhiker on the Parkway, and then on the Turnpike talks about his disillusionment with the Garden State and how he is contemplating to deal with it in a bad way.

What I like most about Lifeguard Nights is their diversity of subjects like, "Matador," "Rumble in the Jungle Gym," and " In the Navy Now," just to name a few. The music ranges from alt. rock to traditional-minded country. This is a kind of rough-and-ready band that can wake up your imagination with romantic dreams of highway adventures, or tear you down until you've hit bottom. The white-hot center of this album is "Cut and Paste," and "Lonely Highway" with equal parts compassion and disdain focusing on vintage sound. I know I've been tip-toeing around it, but Lifeguard Nights' creates songs that are well-written, sharply played, and a have a clear perspective, with the conviction of someone like Springsteen. This is a band with endurance. - Phil Rainone - Jersey Beat

Lifeguard Nights - CD - Punch Sky

One thing's for sure here; New York's Lifeguard Nights don't go a whole bundle on convention!! When this excellent album opened I was straight away reminded of The Zutons; Lifeguard Nights are actually nothing like The Zutons but the energy and punch are very similar. I actually think Lifeguard Nights are more multi-dimensional than The Zutons! These 'guys' feel like 'a family that play together'; there's something safe yet exciting about Lifeguard Nights and 'Punch Sky' feels like a safe-haven where nothing will go wrong and you can stay there as long as you like without fear because Lifeguard Nights will be there for you.

'Punch Sky' is a wonderfully diverse album that never seems to settle into any one single groove or vibe; Lifeguard Nights may drift in and out of rock sub-genre but never really stray far from experimental acceptability. Lifeguard Nights are a bigger than average outfit with anything up to about thirteen members making up the whole. There seems to be a distinct nucleus of about eight with 'friends' and 'associates' drifting in and out of the fold to add their valuable 'two-pennyworth' as and when required. Whatever, it matters not a jot at the end of the day coz Lifeguard Nights have a rich vein of originality running through them and that penchant to diversify will naturally warrant additional assistance from time to time - hey, it obviously works coz 'Punch Sky' is an awesome album.

'Punch Sky' grows as it unwinds; not only is the album a 'grower' in terms of its unputdownable-ness, but it also has an almost organic feel to it as if it builds itself up through clever use of multi-instrumental leads, multi-lead-vocalist, interchangeability - 'Punch Sky' has a sort of multi-facetted thing goin' on! Whatever, whoever, 'Punch Sky' is a splendid trip through the kaleidoscopic mind of songwriter Vincent Brue - quite clearly a very talented, if slightly unusual, man of words and music. Certainly, 'Punch Sky' keeps the listener entertained and 'alive' to the changeability and fluidity of this impressive work. There's nothing staid or 'common-or-garden' about 'Punch Sky' nor Lifeguard Nights for that matter; as the band grow and evolve, so does the music - in fact, 'Punch Sky' feels 'alive', on the move, transient - it feels different every time you enter into its pleasing and refreshing heart. 'Punch Sky' isn't 'cast in concrete' rather it's flexible, transitional, continually morphing into new form, new shape, new sound. Clever stuff indeed coz 'Punch Sky' by Lifeguard Nights wakens the mind, opens up new pleasure-cells and when it draws to a conclusion you're not quite sure where it took you or even where it picked you up - usually a band leave their 'brand' quite clearly in your mind and you're aware of the blend of music you've just heard - not with Lifeguard Nights though; these guys take you somewhere else altogether and you're not sure where it is other than to say it's an enjoyable place to be!

'Punch Sky' by Lifeguard is punchy and energetic, rewarding and enjoyable, friendly and warm and yet 'Punch Sky' is also somewhat baffling and intriguing, an unknown quantity, a loose cannon. Brilliant, different a truly original sound from a truly 'happening' band!

Peter J Brown aka toxic pete (www.toxicpete.co.uk) - Toxic Pete

Lifeguard Nights have a similar vibe to I’m From Barcelona; all joyous melodies and immensely danceable. Had we had a summer ‘Punch Sky’ could’ve been the soundtrack to it but as it stands it seemed Mother Nature conspired to fuck these guys over good and proper. ‘Sunshine’ is an unashamedly jolly affair what with handclaps, horns and group vocals there are few better ways for an album to begin.


Elsewhere things maintain the joyful appearance but with tracks like ‘Unrequited Love’ and ‘Whore’ things aren’t quite what they sound; yet with all the major key melodies and brass on display it does make you wonder how these guys work. Like Eels before them Lifeguard Nights can marry darkness and melody in perfect opposition, creating an all round glow for the listener these guys could be singing about the end of the world and chances are you wouldn’t know it, and even if you did chances are you’d probably feel fine. - www.subba-cultcha.com