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THE SHAME IDOLS - Rocket Cat (CD, Frontier, Pop/rock)
GODDAMN!!! Yeah, yeah, YEAH!!! Question: Put one of the best underground rock bands together with one of the greatest producers around (Conrad Uno) and what do you get? Answer: Pure FUN. The Shame Idols hail from the great (and vastly underrated) musical meca of Birmingham, Alabama. Their debut disc was great, but this one is THE BEST. This time around the band goes for a pure pop sound that lands somewhere between The Records, The Young Fresh Fellows, and The Beach Boys...all the while retaining a nice freshness and sense of originality that just gushes with enthusiasm. This band has quickly become one of the best pop outfits around...and if this one doesn't do it for them I don't know what will. Want great vocals? And breathtaking harmonies? Look no further. These guys' vocals are PERFECT. Top picks: "Ubermensche," "Endora," "Rocket Cat," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," "Well Wisher," and "Mascot Lodge." The disc features artwork by Jaime Hernandez. Fans of pop, you must GET THIS CD!!! Fantastic. (Rating: 6) - babysue.com
Review by Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
A brash, rocking, but defiantly poppy album, the Shame Idols' 1995 debut takes its place somewhere between mid-period Young Fresh Fellows (whose leader Scott McCaughey was an early supporter of this Alabama quartet) and Pleased to Meet Me-era Replacements. Three-quarters of the band had previously been in the punk band the Working Mothers, but the Shame Idols are more of a hard-edged power pop band. Singer/songwriter Tim Boykin has a sweet-toned voice and a knack for catchy little two-minute buzzsaw pop songs that rival Kurt Bloch of the Fastbacks. All 15 songs are immediately memorable. Drummer Jesse-Diego Suttle contributes one track, the sneering "Airhead," where his undeniable vocal resemblance to Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish (not a bad thing) adds an even poppier element to what would otherwise be the punkiest song on the album. Boykin's lyrics aren't particularly distinguished (except for "Sun Ra," a hilarious account of seeing a fellow Birmingham boy in concert while on acid), but neither are they embarrassing, and lyrics matter little in this brand of pop anyway. Though it didn't do much commercially, I Got Time is a terrific album well worth seeking out. - All Music Guide
A lot of power-pop records were released in the nineties, but not many manage to emphasize the "pop" end of that formula as well as Rocket Cat does -- on this record, the Shame Idols take their big rock sound and pack it with so many bouncy 60s-pop constructions and sing-song hooks that one can't help but love it. It's as if your average power-pop band is covering tracks by the Monkees -- even the group's biggest turns toward conventionally punky modernity ("Endora") just wind up sounding like particularly good Weezer tunes. All of which makes for an incredibly appealing record for everyone who's ever loved big, crunchy pop. ~ Nitsuh Abebe, All Music Guide
- All Music Guide
Discography
"I Got Time" (Frontier)
"Rocket Cat" (Frontier)
We have songs with streaming audio at www.myspace.com/shameidols
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The Shame Idols have got everything going their way. First, they were discovered by the Young Fresh Fellows, plucked from their hometown of Birmingham, Alabama and sent to Seattle where they are thrown into the studio with Conrad Uno (Mudhoney and Young Fresh Fellows producer). Then they sign a cozy deal with Frontier, and the cherry on top of their mountainous, have-it- your-goddamn-way sundae is they get Love & Rockets artist Jaime Hernandez to do their cover art. Either these guys lead charmed lives, or they've got the kind of connections that can only be spoken about in hushed tones in dark places.
What's worse is they've got the music to back up all this wonderfulness that's been heaped upon them. They deserve everything they got, because I Got Time is one smoking set of punk-fueled pop. The opening avalanche of drums and slashing chords in "Superman" immediately brings to mind a friendly meeting of the Ramones, the Fluid, and Cheap Trick. The verses are almost as hook-laden as their choruses and they work enough variety (a bit of psychedelia, lots of humor) into the tunes to keep the 15 tracks from becoming a blur.
It's hard not to be a little suspicious of something that seems so perfect. Even the production is spotless. Still, it's easy enough just to lose yourself in all of the great hip-shakin' tunes and forget that this is the best combination of pop and punk you're likely to hear anytime soon.
--Adem Tepedelen
The Shame Idols have also gone on to play showcases & festivals such as CMJ, City Stages, and the International Pop Overthrow festival. They are currently working on their 3rd release and going to Japan to tour and release their cd there as well.
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