SW!MS

Dancing out of the swamplands, we are suddenly bathed in light as the bright sunshine pop of The Swims greets our ears with a smile and the sound of flutes, memories of the Beach Boys floating in our heads. This sixties pop sound is continued throughout the entire of “ItemLord”, the band’s latest collection, a sparkling jewel of a record that has melody a-plenty as well as some shimmering organ, crunchy guitars and harmonies to die for. After the warmth of opener “All is Nice”, the short sharp “Ladyfist” is swirling power-pop, whilst “Descend into my Cape”, turns up the Garage meter, a stomping rocker with all the right moves, the tune immediately followed by the sweet acid twist of “Pile of Features”, the contrast between the two songs highlighting the creativity on offer. Consistently engaging, the whole album is an aural pick-and-mix, a cornucopia of sounds and flavours, all held together by some tight playing, great songwriting and a sense of fun that gets your feet moving and the your whole being smiling, add to this the fact that the collection seems to get better every time you play it and you have a disc that could be the essential summer purchase. - Terrascope.co.uk

The Sw!ms were a sleeper hit for me, coming as a surprise buried at the bottom of a pile of stuff Brian sent my way early in 2006. Their debut Ride of the Blueberry Winter showcased their love of early `60s organ-driven rock while also trying out every tangent their hearts desired. Overall, it was a sprawling yet exhilarating record that ended up sneaking onto my year-end list.

In said review I rattled off a list of like-minded oddball pop bands that don’t actually sound much like the Sw!ms (like Architecture in Helsinki and the Unicorns), but I finally nailed it down. These guys sound like Apples in Stereo -- and no, I came to this realization before I saw that allmusic had figured it out first -- those know-it-all bastards! It’s so obvious now! Both bands are unabashed, Beatles-worshipping pop groups, both love vocoder/robot vocal effects (here it's “Lycopene Eloris (In the Calorie Forest)"), and I’ve seen that keyboardist from Apples wearing a cape (on Colbert's show) while Sw!ms have a song called “Descend Into My Cape.” The Sw!ms’ keyboardist Phillip Price prefers a miner’s headlamp instead.

“Ladyfist” hits you early on with its feel-good surfy vibe, going all-in with retro-style heavy panning of organ in the left speaker and guitar in the right. “Turbo Lined Suit” perhaps best exemplifies the band’s summery vibe, with roughed-up early-era Beach Boys melodies courtesy of Brian Langan and an uptempo tom-riding beat played with that `60s frat rock abandon. And then there’s “Pile of Features,” an instant favorite for me because they get silly with an addictive wordless vocal line sung in their patented Muppet-esque tone (see “Blood in the Lanai”), they rock a mouth-trumpet solo in the bridge and it’s all overtop a bouncy programmed beat full of faux-cabasa, the drum machine being a new element to the group’s sound found in a couple other tunes here.

However, while perfecting their hooks, the Sw!ms have done away with many of the fringe elements of their debut. You won’t find anything as ‘emo’ as “Knitting and Knitting” here, and the departure of drummer Claire Connelly a while back has me missing that female vocal element. The band doesn't have the blinders on, though, mixing things up by diverting to some lighter acoustic tunes (closer “Center Eye,” “Celery Clothes”) and getting a bit psychedelic in the bridge of “Turbo Lined Suit,” taking things down with some (real?) sitar twanging before revving back up. “All Is Nice” opens the album with a violin and flute melody that welcomes you to the indie rock Renaissance Fair. On the other end of the spectrum, epic tune “Falconeater” shows the band rocking harder than ever before with some of the heaviest guitars they've implemented, but later stripping down to bongos and percussion, car-horn brass and fun call-and-response vocals. Flaunting heavy blues rock they merely hinted at on Blueberry’s closer “Upstate Milkmaid,” the group constructs a lengthy outro that slows then builds and builds to more than one powerful Zep-ish riff to end the song.

Itemlord is a blast for nerds like me looking to cut loose. I must urge the Sw!ms to keep on trying wacky shit, because I worry that if they streamline their style with each record we will soon be left with predictable tunes. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about it though -- these guys play like they've got wacky in their bones.

- Punknews.org

The Sw!ms onstage are a double-edged sword. Sure, the band's organ-rough garage songs roar like they never could on record, but they're typically played so damn loud that newcomers flee the room in search of cocktail napkins to tear into makeshift earplugs. With the sprawling 16-song Ride of the Blueberry Winter, though, the Sw!ms are in danger of putting their hometown of Scranton-a town so dull it was tapped for the setting of the American version of The Office-on the indie rock map for good.

Brian Langan, an ambitious frontman with a curly balloon of hair and a fondness for medieval-style fur vests, is as colorful a songwriter as they come. The fantastic world that pours from his head rivals Narnia and Middle-earth in classical influence and joyous vigor. There are valkyries, a "vermilion archer," depth charges, milkmaids and plenty of blood. (An online ad for the album pokes fun at these elements, reading, "Lava. Krakens. Centaurs. This is serious.")

Backed by bassist Matt Walsh, drummer Claire Connelly (who's since left the band) and multi-instrumentalist Philip Price (also of An Albatross), Langan channels that endless weirdness into some of the catchiest songs you've ever heard. Nuggets-era psych and garage is smudged into blooze and Elephant 6-style mid-fi, split evenly between raging rave-ups and doe-eyed lullabies.

Blueberry Winter is an album you could bond with your parents over, without any compromising of taste. You could even hit a Sw!ms show together, just to ponder Langan's goofy wardrobe before making a break for those napkins when it gets too heavy. - Philadelphia Weekly

THE SW!MS - Ride Of The Blueberry Winter
THE GOOD: Scranton's oddest (yet finest) collective FINALLY graces us with a super-cool full-length effort.
THE BAD: The record may not be perfect (the first half is definitely stronger than the second), but it's damn close!
THE NITTY GRITTY: Blueberry Winter is a modern pop lover's dream come true - one part McCartney, one part Brian Wilson, a dash of Flaming Lips, and just a hint of trashy garage. Guitarist/vocalist Brian Langan carries the set with a seemingly endless supply of fetching melodies. Phillip Reynolds Price's vintage farfisa organ licks take us back, while The Sw!ms' thrashing rhythm section boldly pushes us forward.
Tracks like "We Need Lava" and "Depth Charge" bounce us madly about while reeling in our ears with addictive hooks. "Vermillion Archer" quickens to a maddening pace, tossing a little classic surf in the mix. "Feast Of Flames" has more genuine rock 'n' roll bite - its grinding guitars fighting Price's keyboards for the spotlight.
BUY IT?: YOU HAVE TO! The Sw!ms is further solidifying its reputation as NEPA's most creative band. - Electric City

First off, do any of you just want to get up and dance? If you answered yes then this just might be your perfect album. Ride of Blueberry Winter by The SW!MS is one of the most interesting sounds I’ve heard. They almost sound like a children’s sing-a-long group. Only this group kicks far more ass then The Wiggles (Editors Note: Drew really does listen to children’s music). It also has an almost ‘60’s Beach Boys sound to it. All of this mixed together makes quite a treat of an album.

The album starts right off with C’M Off It and right away you can hear a modernized version of The Monkees. The next track Blood in the Lanai sounds most like the children’s group only most sing-a-long songs don’t take on the topic of
blood in the swimming pool, blood in the living room…blood all over the place.
But even those lyrics are made fun by SW!MS. After they tell about all the blood then a group of what sounds like Muppets starts making noises in the background and you really start to think that this album is special.

Throughout the rest of the album all you want to do is learn each song just so the next time you can chant along to the catchy melodies and be just like Davey Jones. Normally I can find some kind of weakness in every album but this one just puts a good feeling in you that you can’t talk bad about. If I had to pick a “funniest” album of my life Ride of Blueberry Winter just might take the cake. When you listen to this you can’t help but just feel like the shit.

Easy 10 out of 10
RIYL: The “indie” Wiggles, 1960’s California pop, the coolest sing-a-long cassette tape you’ve ever heard
www.theswims.com - Mammoth Press

Two years ago, Treble held its big Best of the '60s feature. Sure, there was plenty of your requisite Beatles, Stones and Dylan, but there was also Zombies, Love, the Kinks and Os Mutantes. To my surprise, I received an album from a new Pennsylvania band that sounded like it could have fit in with those '60s bests. The Sw!ms, don't forget the exclamation point, hail from Scranton, PA, a city that's smack dab in the Northeast corner of the state, closer to upstate New York than to its own Philadelphia. One can either catch a game with the Scranton / Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, check out the Houdini Museum, or catch an episode of the American version of The Office while in Scranton, but you'd be best served by seeing a show with the stunning new band, the Sw!ms.

Ride of the Blueberry Winter is the name of the album and immediately its title and cover art catch your eye. For one, the title recalls the heyday of the wacky and silly names that ran rampant in the sixties such as the Strawberry Alarm Clock or the Chocolate Watch Band. Seripop does the cover art, or as they are more technically known, Seriographie Populaire, a pair of Montreal poster artists that also spend part of their time making a ruckus in AIDS Wolf. Everything about this CD on the surface hearkens back to the experimental love-filled days of daisy chains and Nehru jackets. When you delve under the surface, to my surprise and pleasure, there was more of the same. What makes the Sw!ms so damn charming, loveable and warm is the combination of Brian Langain's impassioned vocals with Phillip Price's organs (the instruments, not the body parts). Claire Connelly's drums and Matt Walsh's bass make for a charging rhythm section that allow the other two to really let loose.

Oddly named tracks might befuddle the masses, but the easiest ones to interpret generally end up to be the best on the album. "Sara Jean" is just one of those tracks (minus the coda of recorded urination) that shows that the Sw!ms have mad songwriting chops. If the Old 97's went back in Doc Brown's Delorean to forty years ago, this is the song they might have written. "Depth Charge" and "Truffleberry Wine" are just as worthy, the latter with a barroom piano that sets a jaunty mood, yet somehow filled with ennui. "Knitting and Knitting" is a stunning piece of songwriting, complete with weeping strings and falsetto choruses. I could have listened to the Hammond organ solo for another two minutes at least. Songs throughout the album can have the psychedelic imprint of the Beatles and the power pop of the Posies with particular tracks at the beginning having somewhat of an alt-country feel with slide guitar.

At sixteen tracks, Ride of the Blueberry Winter is a lot to take in, but is well worth the admission price. Speaking of the sixties, back in that decade and in the '70s, Disneyland used to have separate tickets for each of their rides, much like a carnival. You had to purchase tickets in packs and carefully portion out what you might need for the day. Some of your tamer Fantasyland rides might merit a `C' ticket if you were lucky, while the attractions that no one visited, like Tom Sawyer's Island, were worth an `A' ticket. The major coasters like Matterhorn were `E' tickets, thus coining the phrase, `E Ticket Ride.' The Ride of the Blueberry Winter is definitely an `E' ticket ride, full of aggressive and fun 60's power pop that outdistances most in the genre. Need more convincing? Put on "Vermillion Archer" at a party and watch everybody get crazy!

Similar Albums:
Zombies- Odessey & Oracle
The Old 97's- Fight Songs
The Posies- Dear 23 - Treble Magazine

Sw!ms defies any simple labeling process. While very much unlike the stereotypical pop-punk band, Sw!ms avoids the sound usually assigned to your run of the mill indie band as well. What they are, perhaps, is more of a cross between Mike Myers and a popular children’s television show.

Previously unacquainted with Sw!ms and any other work of group members such as An Albatross or Lewis and Clarke, the ever important first impression struck me with an incredible shocking force. Ride of the Blueberry Winter lurches forward immediately with a psychedelically frantic charge leading the listener to draw comparisons to the British swinger icon, Austin Powers. A playful tune, “Cinoff It” gives the band a strong start to their debut full-length.

Sw!ms quickly shifts directions with their second track. Reaching and groping far back in my memory banks, I struggled to grasp just what “Blood in the Lanai” triggered in my memory. Upon realization of the connection I was flabbergasted at just how I even remembered the childish show; this piece sounds like a song straight out of Lamb Chops. While not quite “This is the Song that Never Ends,” “Blood in the Lanai” presses a cute, elementarily fun beat with nurturing vocals. Muppet like voices even surface midway through the track. The parallel, however, stands only when ignoring the persistent mention of blood throughout the whole of the song.

“Lava” brings a beautiful cross of the two aforementioned tracks. It also boasts the most impressive vocal ranges on the record. Little changes until “Sara Jean” decelerates the pace of the album, but still the psychedelic/indie cross dominates the sound brought forth.

“Cinom Day” materializes immediately as the next track worthy of mention, but this time for less positive reasons. The country twang in vocal parts of the song provide not an impressive variation from the overall sound of the disc, but rather a distraction from an otherwise outstanding record. “Yub – Yub” and “Knitting and Knitting,” two outlandishly slow tracks for the fast paced band, ease their way out of the slump before finally fully recovering with “Vermillion Archer,” a song whose style reminds one of older punk rock groups such as one of the quicker Clash tracks.

It proves tirelessly difficult to put a finger on just what you think of Sw!ms’ music. One thing, however, is certain; the genre-defying group can put together some darned good music. Ride of the Blueberry Winter, it follows, must be a darned good disc. - Absolutepunk.net

THE SWIMS - Snackfood Junction (EP)

THE GOOD: Northeast Pennsylvania's strangest (and coolest) combo is back with another EP overflowing with neo-psychedelic pop, dippy garage and melancholy rock.

THE BAD: Again with the EPs!! ALBUMS people ALBUMS!! Although the band does score major points for pressing the new disc on CD and vinyl - every buyer receiving BOTH formats in each package. And audiophiles will be pleased to find that the 33 and a 1/3 light green disc is pressed on quality stock - not the cheap flexi-crap. So okay - there's no "BAD" this time around.

THE NITTY GRITTY: Musically, Junction is solid - four cuts all possessing their own unique personality. "Depth Charge" kicks off the set with a pristine piece of melodic pop. From there, it's on to the spooky trippy instrumental surf rock of "Valhallaholic."
Flip the record over and drink in the moodier more serious strains of "In The Sun." We wrap up our little visit with the foreboding "Using Urban Shocker's Silver Pellet" - a slightly eerie piece with vocalist Brian Langan's pipes wrapping around a gorgeous ascending chorus while tiny catchy keyboard trills float throughout the background.

BUY IT?: Buy two! Get them out of NEPA because the entire world needs the Swims! Grab yours at the Gallery of Sound, Borders or at www.theswims.com. - Mike Evans, Electric City, WEZX - FM

Water logged

Local indie band the Sw!ms make a splash with their second disc

Scranton's best kept secret isn't the Krispy Kreme donut hut off the Expressway, it's a little, shagadelic indie band called the Sw!ms, and they've just released their second EP, "Snack Food Junction." Music geeks will drool over the fact that it comes in both CD and 7" vinyl format, and decorated in the band's own swirly, groovy artwork.

The Sw!ms make whimsical, psychedelic pop that's so irresistibly happy it just might save you from jumping off the ledge at work on a Tuesday. (Oh, sorry, that's me). Incorporating organs, bells, gorilla mating sounds and the theremin (look that one up) into its music, the Sw!ms go much more vintage and get much more experimental here than on its last, self-titled EP.

If listening to the Sw!ms means drowning in a euphoric whirlpool, I want to have wrinkly, pruned hands forever.

go:

Summersteps Music Series with the Sw!ms, the Doses, Okay Paddy, the Green Chair, the Marshmallow Staircase

The Jr. Ballroom, Scranton Cultural Center

Washington Ave. Scranton

Fri., Sept. 24

Doors at 7 p.m., show at 7:30

All-ages show, 21 to drink. - The Weekender, by Megan Rowlands

Ever since The Sw!ms splash-landed at Tink's during the summer of 2003, the local music scene hasn't been the same.

It was during an opening gig for Mighty Fine Wine on the deck when almost instantly, The Sw!ms swam in a sea of new fans.

"That's like the best band ever," proclaimed MFW.

Strong words coming from the local favorites, but now their new friends are riding a tidal wave through the Northeast. Gigging in NEPA as well as famed New York City clubs like Siberia and Philadelphia's Fire, The Sw!ms continue to succeed at random punctuation while playing a style of music many of you have never heard of.

A trendy cover band pretending to be original? Not The Sw!ms. The Sw!ms won't climb the Top 40 charts anytime soon. The CMJ listings, however, are begging for new blood, and The Sw!ms' sound, which sporadically parallels what's hip in the big cities, may be just what the scenester ordered.

The Sw!ms can be compared to Flaming Lips, Pavement, and perhaps a little of The Pixies. For the uninitiated lot of you who make Matchbox Twenty your annual concert experience, you might think of The Sw!ms as an indie rock version of The Monkees, complete with tongue-in-cheek antics and hilarious live shenanigans.

When frontman Brian Langan talked to e.c., he went out of his way to bust a few chops when discussing his other all-star band members. He said of organ player Phillip Price, "Brother Phillip was in Bedford for seven years and now plays in An Albatross. OOOHH! We're in Thrasher, AP, and Blender!!! Check us out on tour for six months out of the year!"

Langan was in Wonderdog for seven years, then "did his Aggrocragg thing for about a year, which got cancelled." Bassist Michael Quinn plays in Lee (known as Okay Paddy for the past eight years). Of drummer Claire Connelly, Langan says, "Sister Claire was in the Scotch Indians, but now she's all ours."

An intriguing bunch, and a band you have to see. The Sw!ms has a couple of local gigs coming up where you can pick up the seven-song, self-titled debut CD: Nov. 23, Cafe Metropolis, Wilkes-Barre with The Birds of India and Elora Danon, and Nov. 26 at Lab's Frosted Mugs, Dunmore, with Lee and Birds of India.

While the CD is a worthwhile listen, not all of the band's current members are on it and it's hardly indicative of the high-energy shows that have helped The Sw!ms draw. If the song titles ("Jon vs. Tron-Bon," "The Science of Speculation") were any indication, we should have known it would be tough to get a straight story from The Sw!ms.

Nonethless, e.c. wrapped its tentacles around Captain Langan, and tried to shake free some answers ...

Are you of any relation to the Jersey band The Swimmies?
Actually, yes. The Swimmies are our godchildren. They do Sw!ms songs only in like a kids bop way. Surprisingly, they do pretty well around the Trenton area especially for a bunch of pre-teens, not like J.T.T. preteen though, more like Ryder Strong preteen.

What does The Sw!ms mean?
I give up.

Then what about the exclamation point? Do you often shout in the middle of your words?
The Sw!ms reserve the right to ensure we are never found on Internet search engines.

Ever Google yourself?
Watch your tongue!

Fair enough. Who or what inspires The Sw!ms?
Aural snacks, dancing, artlife, Gandalf, ego loss, talismans, future primitive things, pop, joy, waking wind, exploding red barrels, hovercrafts ... things like that.

Why does your CD look like it belongs at the bottom of a bathtub?
The Sw!ms are big on hygiene, I mean I wouldn't say were hygiene rock per se, like The Floss, The Shamp-Oohs, or Behind The Ears, but be sure when we see YOU we'll say "Hi, Gene!"

Ugh. Let's talk about your songs. If you could meet The Noid, what would you ask him? Er, it.
I personally try to avoid The Noid.

Track four is titled "Clash at Demonhead." Pretentious indie rock song title or is there a deeper meaning that's eluding us?
I wanted to put forth a social criticism of post structuralism from the viewpoint of the '68 Paris Commune situationist mileau.

I had no idea.
Actually that's bullshit. It's a video game.

Should have known. If The Sw!ms had one CD player that held six discs, what CDs would live there?
The Hollies - "Butterfly," The Beatles - "Rubber Soul," Pavement - "Brighten the Corners," The Flaming Lips - "Soft Bulletin," Bob Dylan - "Blonde on Blonde," The Zombies - "Odessey and Oracle."

Those who like The Sw!ms also like ...
The Hollies,The Beatles, The Kinks, July, The Sonics, Of Montreal, The Zombies,The Dook-Shrooks, The Ramones,Tommorrow, Marcel Duchamp,The Flaming Lips, The Apples, The Misfits, The California Dreams, Marc Bolan, Pavement, MC5, 1910 Fruitgum Co., Sonic Youth, The Turtles, Beach Boys, The Count Five, etc...

What does Sw!ms enjoy about playing in Northeastern Pa.?
The Organic Food Co-Op, the well maintained roads, and the thriving downtown nightlife.

True or false. Morrissey is God.
False.

Who is God?
Donald R. Hosey Jr., but only part time.

What's the perfect Sw!ms concert? Any bands youd like to play with? Dead or alive?
It'd be awesome if bands were playing dead.

If The Sw!ms were an ice cream flavor, what would it be?
Butter brickle.

What is The Sw!ms' preferred method of transportation?
Monorail of course!

Right. What is The Sw!ms' official stance on the Britney/Madonna kiss?
We wanted more tongue, and thigh, we like legs.

Where does The Sw!ms buy its wardrobe?
Jamesway.

Would you boycott Jamesway if it were hiring illegal immigrants?
We would boycott anyone who mistreats humans.

You would rather eat for dinner: a) tuna sandwich b) Liz Phair
c) Burger King Chicken Baguette d) the Afflac Duck.
A Liz sandwich would be Phair.

The local cover band The Pee Pees are putting out shirts that read: "Original Bands Suck." Your thoughts?
Nothing says "I'm a wild and crazy guy" like a hilarious madcap t-shirt. Can you believe it?

If faced with the daunting task of finding Nemo, what would be The Sw!ms' strategy and what's the timetable for success?
The projected timetable for success would be under 48 hours as Sw!ms are in possession of a modest compliment of Ohio-Class Trident Ballistic Missile Submarines (underwater boats).

Complete the sentence: You smell worse than a ...
Republican president.

What is the ultimate goal of The Sw!ms?
To put a little snack into your leg.

IF YOU GO
WHAT: The Sw!ms CD Release Party
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Cafe Metropolis, S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre
INFO: www.theswims.com - Electric City cover story, Gene Padden