Rogue Forty

When I think of someone really getting’ down with a piano, I often have a thought of a group of friends, half drunk, gathered around the big instrument, yelling out some old classic songs. Ah, these are happy times. But really, most piano rock I hear these days isn’t happy at all, as the gleeful, hopping piano would like you to think. The tunes often reflect on how things went wrong, never started out well in the first place, or how they were just plain destined to fail.

Rogue Forty falls right in line with this picture. With an album title like Underdogs, a picture on the CD of a stick-figure trying to hold up a piano (that he’s either pushing or just hoping it won’t come crashing down on him), and an opening song called “Loser’s Mantra,” well, what can one expect? This dark and somewhat depressed piano rock doesn’t hide behind anything. They spell it right out for all to see but with a rockin’ piano beat that will make you want to get up and move your feet.

To compare these guys to Ben Folds Five is not a bad thing. The way Andrew Wood rocks out on the piano while amazing harmonies weave in and out are very reminiscent of The Five. But don’t be mistaken, Rogue Forty is not a copy. The trio builds on what works and adds in some instrumental experimentation, giving the music what I would describe as a New York twist in style. There are some great songs on this album, and if you like piano rock, you should definitely check it out. These guys are likely to go as far as they want to and I look forward to hearing what they do next. - by Lisa Town

With all apologies to New York trio Rogue Forty, I tried really hard. Really, really hard. But with a piano-fronted sound heavy on bombastic power chords and as their press release notes “exuberant pieces of pop that explode into joyful choruses” I could not escape the inevitable comparison to that Ben Folds guy. With that out of the way, I can get on with the rest of the review.

Although, yes, their sound is akin to the Ben Folds progressive piano rock thing, Rogue Forty is by no means a piano-pounding tribute band to the Five or Folds or whoever he is nowadays. In their debut album Underdogs, Rogue Forty has the happy piano vibe going, but add an extra dose of trippiness that would make Fiona Apple proud. Avoiding a conventional sound, the band throws in large doses of musical oddities to keep things slightly on the weird side. Further adding to the fun is band leader Andrew Wood’s immense talent for humorously dire lyrics.

Underdogs is largely a production of Wood who is chief vocalist, pianist, and producer. His enthusiastic, rough-and-tumble vocals mesh nicely with the songs. The other two band members Christopher Hall and Robert Caruso are a great supporting cast in a show that clearly belongs to Wood.

Underdogs is a good album made above average by a couple of songs. The hopelessly addictive “Cyanide” is ironic songwriting at its best and “Half a Head’ hearkens to the music of a late '70s Billy Joel. Another interesting tune to check out is “Rubber Bat.”

With Underdogs, Rogue Forty has the makings of a great future. They have a unique approach to music making that will serve them well down the road. Evidently, they are adding a fourth member for their next project, so it will be interesting to see how their sound evolves. In the meantime, it will be well worth your while to check out Underdogs. Just don’t think of Ben Folds when you listen to it. - by Noel Lloyd

From the first startling sound of “Loser’s Mantra” you know that “Underdogs” is not your standard rock album and that ROGUE FORTY is an aptly named band dedicated to getting their message across in unorthodox manners. And the message is sheer poetry. The angel-in-my-ear “Song From A Jukebox” is haunting with its lamenting refrain; “Half A Head” alternates between anger and hesitant hope in its search for depth; the poignant “Sunday Song” is not your standard tribute to lost love; “Momentums” is a stark reflection of the human spirit; and “Cyanide” is a joyous celebration of self-destruction. Definitely not your standard fare but each song is so ripe and rich with pregnant phrasing that you are left in a personal reverie - until the next mind-jarring sound, that is! The driving force behind the explosive songs is the piano enhanced by unique auditory effects and a pulsating backdrop of bass and drums.
For an unusual musical experience, check out ROGUE FORTY’s “Underdog” (now available at www.CDBaby.com). You’re bound to come away with at least one catchy phrase that will bounce around your head for days to come. - by Laurie Lawson

ROGUE FORTY is an Unusual Blend of Hard Piano Driven Rock with some Incredible Harmonies. We guess inevitable Comparisons Could be Made to BEN FOLDS but yea these guys Are That Good. And you should Really Search them out and See them Live Soon. Damn Good stuff. - by Radio Mike

Every once in a while there's those bands that just come along and blow you away with their creativity. It's bands like Rogue Forty that create new genres of music (something I'm not really supportive of, but we all use genres to classify music). Their eclectic rock sound backed by the keys gives them a really laid back sound that reminds me of Death Cab for Cutie with a little more of an edge.

The vocals didn't appeal to me during the first listen, but soon after I really found them to be catchy and found myself singing along to the lyrics. Despite its lack of heaviness and "hardcoreness," you can really get into this band and you will surely be singing along as well after a few listens.

It is one of those bands you just can't always get into at first. If you don't give it a chance, you'll just be missing out. So if you want something catchy, yet laid back, go check out Rogue Forty. You won't regret it. - by Dustin

Rogue Forty hails from the borough known as Brooklyn, home of every other musician in the USA today. Look quick there went a Stroke & a movie star. Brooklyn is happening right now- loads of good hip hop, and indie-rock. Just think of a band you have been listening to lately and they are probably from Brooklyn, or at least living there. Rogue Forty seems to be overlooked, at least by the national press that is all over BK. Perhaps that is because they are doing something completely different from what everyone else is doing? I have no exact answer for you or for them. I only know that Rogue Forty's disc is one the most spun unsigned cds at the Earfood office. Here's why: All of my favorite bands have begun taking themselves so fucking serious all the time, have they forgotten that it's only rock n roll? I mean don't get me wrong I like all that moppy shit just as much as the next guys, but I need a break every once in a while. When I take that break, lately I find myself breaking with the R40 disc "Underdogs" or with their new batch of demos. It would seem easy to compare R40 to a certain man from Chapel Hill who now resides Down Under (or is he in Nashville now?), and it's probably a compliment if you do, but this is the band's first record and shouldn't your influences come shining through early on. I guess more to the point, who cares? Since recording “Underdogs” the band have added a full time guitarist, and have begun recording what will hopefully be their next record. Earfood has had the pleasure of hearing the first mixes of many of the new songs, and the band has already come a long way from their first effort, which was pretty damn good. So what must you do now? Go buy “Underdogs” (which will give you one of your new favorite records of the summer) while at the same time providing the band with cash to finish the next recording. New record= More Rogue Forty for you and Earfood to love. Expect to hear a lot more about Rogue Forty hear at Earfood, they are one of our new favorites. You can check out the Brooklyn Underdogs at www.rogueforty.com - by Ken