Sunshine Behavior

Music note: For the love of Sunshine Behavior

By Dwight Hobbes , TC Daily Planet

September 18, 2008

A few years back, I swung by the Cabooze to catch New Primitives and caught what turned out to be a very interesting surprise. Walking into the club, I saw onstage four young white guys, naked from the waist up, barely a bicep among them and figured, man, they must scraping the bottom of barrel for opening acts. Then, from inside the dressing room (or, as Prims frontman Stan Kipper calls it, the Voodoo Lounge), I was reaching for something somebody was handing me and froze in suspended animation as this wall of sound exploded from the other side of the door. I went back out into the club. The skinny kids were playing their narrow asses off—rocking with incredible energy, tight as the crack of dawn, vocalist Harley Wood piercing the air with relentless, impassioned urgency. So much for judging a book by its cover.

That was my introduction to Sunshine Behavior, one hellified band even for the Twin Cities scene, which is well-known for hellified bands. After they finished their set—to absolutely insane applause from the packed house—I got a demo from bass player Jimmy Lyback and, the next day, found myself fascinated with the music. They do a lot of power chords, not a lot of intricate riffing on guitar, but hardly what you’d accordingly expect. They play with appreciable finesse. No sloppy, club-handed drumming or mundane, super-thick bass runs. And on guitar, like I said, not an abundance of intricacy, but when Justin Schommer does downshift to let his nimble fingers go walking over the frets, it is very, very tasty. In fact, there are moments with sweet hints of Hendrix circa, say, “The Wind Cries Mary” as well as spaces in which Schommer goes for broke with beautiful, screaming lines that stop you right dead in the middle of reaching for what someone is handing you. Drummer Jeremy Krueth smokes the backbeat like your mom’s home-cooked breakfast, so good and hot you can’t hardly believe it.

Their album, Sunshine Behavior, came in the mail and, of course, I had to hear how it came out. Thumbs up. These guys have put together a CD that truly kicks ass and takes names. Regrettably, “Bar of Chocolate,” a song that wondrously harks back to the old San Francisco sound, didn’t make the final cut. Thankfully, “April’s Fool” did. By turns delicate and pile-driving, it’s a killer, radio-ready cut with splendidly wizened lyrics about a lad bitterly disillusioned by romancing a flighty lass. He winds up with a broken heart and a doctor bill to boot. “Today,” a hands-down winner, also survived the cut. For this one, Justin Schommer and Jimmy Lyback switch shoes, Lyback acquitting himself on guitar (Justin Schommer’s bass is buried, but what you hear of it works fine).

The songwriting is solid. The execution burns. In the remote chance there’s justice in the music industry, Sunshine Behavior’s eponymous debut album should put this band on the map.

Dwight Hobbes is a writer based in the Twin Cities. He contributes regularly to the Daily Planet.
- TWIN CITIES DAILY PLANET

Sunshine Behavior have a strange idea of what it is to give the press essential information. Their basic .. Jeremy Krueth (Hits Stuff); Jimmy Lyback (Fingers Stuff/Pets Stuff); Justin Schommer (Pets Stuff/Fingers Stuff); and Harley Wood (Sings Words). Which, if you’ve caught them in action, really doesn’t surprise: They’ve got the damnedest presentation—a bunch of skinny cats, barely clad, thrashing themselves about in arrhythmic fashion. Don’t let any of it throw you off, because these oddballs have chops to burn. The night I caught them, I was so blown away that when they gave me two demo discs it only made sense to keep one and give the other to a friend. P.S.: Odd or not, they had the crowd completely stoked. And have a cut, “April’s Fools,” that will nail you to the back wall—soft-rock angst that gives—I lie to you not—Gin Blossoms a true run for the good money. Five’ll get you ten: Once Sunshine Behavior releases a disc, stores will have a hard time keeping the thing in stock. - www.pulsetc.com / PULSE OF THE TWIN CITIES

Bodog 2007/2008 write up on SB
Sunshine Behavior -
"Out of Minnesota, Sunshine Behavior are a four-piece rock band that deliver their tunes with soul and spirit. Bass player Jimmy, lead guitar Justin, drummer Jeremy, and singer Harley combine to produce a sound that is equal parts Blind Melon, Black Crowes and all-original rock chops.

Above all, this band of musical brothers is passionate about their craft and put on a tight show all around. No wonder they’re in the running for the two remaining spots at the World Grand Finale!"

The Bodog BOB has ended for the 2007/2008 year with Sunshine Behavior having ended up in the top 20 of over 7,000 national and international bands competing!
- BODOG

Sunshine Behavior
(Fine Line, Friday, Aug. 15, 2008)

I stumbled across their MySpace page and found a catchy little pop band with a blue-eyed soul singer willing to risk pretension a la Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) or Mick Hucknall (Simply Red), and sometimes Martin Sexton. The guitarist can make like "Little Wing" style Jimi Hendrix on the opening to "The One," or sidestroke toward the radio with by-the-numbers pop-rock froth on "Entire Town." A memorable singer, and a capably versatile guitarist is more than half the battle, and the tunes take it from there, including the suburban pogo number, "Shut It Off," and the deadbeat John Mayer-esque blues, "My Girls." - MinnPost (MinnPost.com)

I swung by The Cabooze a few weeks ago to catch New Primitives and found myself gawking at the opening act, a handful of young kids, naked from the waist up, flouncing themselves about, their hard-driving music playing to one beat, their bodies moving to God-knows-what. “What in the pure-dee hell do these kids think they’re doing?” I asked myself. Myself didn’t say anything, but as I turned to walk off and wait for New Primitives to get busy, I got my answer. Without the distraction of watching the band (admittedly nobody else in the joint had a problem looking at them and, indeed, the crowd was having a great time), just listening to Sunshine Behavior, it hit me that these youngsters have solid chops. So, I asked for a copy of their demo. Thankfully, they had one handy. Lead cuts, “Today” and “April’s Fools,” make a very effective one-two punch (word to the aspiring—if you don’t get the listener with your first two songs, they’re not going to bother listening any further). Both songs follow an interesting tack-–starting out with a mellow intro that quickly switches gears, not just getting your full attention so much as actually snatching it. “Bar of Chocolate,” which kind of reminds you of the ancient Frisco band Quicksilver Messenger Service, is fairly conventional, anchored in plain old boogie-woogie. That is, until the guys stop on a dime to hit a weird, lullaby bridge—before going back to raising hell. Bottom line, these boys have a lot going on for themselves. Yeah, yeah, I know, I shouldn’t’ve judged a book by the cover: Sue me. - www.pulsetc.com / PULSE OF THE TWIN CITIES

By Dwight Hobbes , TC Daily Planet
January 01, 2009
You can’t beat Sunshine Behavior when it comes to solid alternative rock. Back in the days of the genre’s origin it was called L.A. rock. As in the Byrds (when Roger McGuinn went by Jim), Love, bands like that. Later outfits like Gin Blossoms slapped a bit of edge on it, but it’s the same beautifully romantic rock—complete with sardonic angst. Sunshine Behavior can hardly play enough shows to suit their following. Wherever they take the stage—the Fine Line, The Cabooze—a rapturous mob ensues. Sensibly so. Like I said, nobody does it better than the boys in Sunny B. Everybody here has chops to burn. Once these guys go national, they’re going to blow a lot of pretenders right straight out of the water and seriously revitalize the scene.

Lyback talks about Sunshine Behavior.

How did the band get together? When?

In my mind, Sunshine Behavior was basically born from a burning desire from my early teens of just having some strange understanding and yearning to be a [successful rock musician] and to take on all of the good and bad of a lifetime in that occupation. It all came into focus when I heard my father playing “I’m Your Capt’n” by Grand Funk Railroad. I had played on and off with Justin for years due to our fathers playing bass and guitar together in bands. After losing a guitar playing in my first semi-serious band, Velveteen, I called upon my long-time buddy Justin.

Who does the songwriting?

Justin and I.. Both of us have unique styles and traits which give us variety when writing together or separately. For the most part we leave the vocals up to the singer.

How’d you guys decide what went on the album?

It’s not always an easy choice but it is one that has to be made—until we release a double or triple album.

There’s a rumor fans are threatening to boil you in oil because “Bar Of Chocolate” got left off.

“Bar of Chocolate” just didn’t make the cut this time. It’s going to be on the next album.

What’s next for Sunshine Behavior?

We’ve [achieved] staying power and now we’re going to push it.
- TWIN CITIES DAILY PLANET