To put it kindly, this Chicago quartet lacks a commanding vocalist. But Jered Gummere, the Tom Verlaine fan who most often takes the mic, would rather cajole than command anyway. "Let's Kill Ourselves," easily the most playful suicide note since Elton John's "I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself," is less an order than an invitation to make a lark out of depression. Similarly, the Ponys' deep, reverberant sound toys with a Jesus and Mary Chain-style darkness only to tweak it, as when a guitar riff from the a Crystals' girl-group classic "And Then He Kissed Me" lumbers out of the depths of "Fall In." In each of the singers' unfulfilled vocal aspirations, and in the way the upward-scrawling guitars refuse to be set straight by the forthright drumming, you can hear a band whose limitations have thankfully forced them to translate punk tradition into their own idiosyncratic language. --Keith Harris
Laced With Romance,The Ponys,In the Red Records,Alternative Pop/Rock,Bass (Electric),Drums,Garage Punk,Garage Rock Revival,Guitar (Electric),Indie Rock,Keyboards,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop,United States of America,Vocals
Laced With Romance
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Laced with Romance
The Ponys Manufacturer: In the Red Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  General
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
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Garage Punk
| Hardcore & Punk
| Alternative Rock
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Indie Rock
| Indie & Lo-Fi
| Alternative Rock
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Garage Rock
| Rock
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General
| Rock
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Pop Rock
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ASIN: B0001CVAOW Release Date: 2004-03-02 |
Tracks:
- Lets Kill Ourselves
- 10 Fingers 11 Toes
- Sad Eyes
- Little Friends
- Fall Inn
- Looking Out A Mirror
- Trouble Trouble
- Chemical Imbalance
- I'll Make You A Star
- I Love You 'Cause (You Look Like Me)
- Virus Human
- The Only One
Amazon.com
To put it kindly, this Chicago quartet lacks a commanding vocalist. But Jered Gummere, the Tom Verlaine fan who most often takes the mic, would rather cajole than command anyway. "Let's Kill Ourselves," easily the most playful suicide note since Elton John's "I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself," is less an order than an invitation to make a lark out of depression. Similarly, the Ponys' deep, reverberant sound toys with a Jesus and Mary Chain-style darkness only to tweak it, as when a guitar riff from the a Crystals' girl-group classic "And Then He Kissed Me" lumbers out of the depths of "Fall In." In each of the singers' unfulfilled vocal aspirations, and in the way the upward-scrawling guitars refuse to be set straight by the forthright drumming, you can hear a band whose limitations have thankfully forced them to translate punk tradition into their own idiosyncratic language. --Keith HarrisCustomer Reviews:
An absolutely splendid album.......2006-08-10
The Ponys make me think of a host of other bands when I listen to them, luckily all of them good. Strains of Television, the Cure, My Bloody Valentine, the Lyres, and the Talking Heads constantly arise in their songs. That isn't to say that they sound derivative merely that they are enthusiastic participants in a rich and distinguished musical tradition. They have listened to a lot of other albums, but they manage nonetheless to create one infused with their own voice.
If your idea of a great album consists of moody, tense vocals, dense, distorted guitar chords, and energetic, complex songs filled with great hooks, with the occasional organ thrown in, this will be an album you will find difficult to resist. I loved it the first time I listened to it and enjoyed it even more each time I went back through it. I pretty much enjoy every cut on the album, though some stand out more than others. My personal favorite is probably "I'll Make You A Star," one of the more musically complex numbers on the album, though I find "Let's Kill Ourselves," "Sad Eyes," and "Trouble Trouble" just as enjoyable. But the gap between these songs and a number like "I Love You 'Cause (You Look Like Me)" and "10 Fingers 11 Toes" is pretty narrow.
Anyone who likes either of the Ponys two albums should explore both. They are both stellar efforts. Although they are a Chicago band, I have to confess that I haven't seen them live, but based on how much I have enjoyed both these albums, that is going to change.
Laced With Romance trots along.......2005-06-04
Album of the year.......2004-07-19
The sound is a unique blend of Blondie-esque pop punk and hard edged guitar punk.
Buy it, you won't be disappointed. And if they're playing your town, make sure to catch them. They're even better live.
Pony poo?.......2004-07-14
ponys to drink; ponys to ride; ponys to listen to; pony up.......2004-05-04
"They have a beat and melodies I can hum," she said. Well so does Thee Michelle Gun Elephant.
Anyway, earnest, yet untenable comparisons to the Cure and Violent Femmes, and Ramones (c'mon, the Ramones?, you're not listening to either band.) notwithstanding, I found "Laced with Romance" to resemble most a lesser-known band, Frigg A-Go-Go, minus the capes, matching them toe-to-toe in riffage, energy, and attitude.
This is rock and roll with generous, flattering production values, post-punk diction via Guided by Voices, treating run-of-the-genre, dumb-as-rocks (or is it?) subject matter.
Starting off ballsy with "Lets Kill Ourselves," an invitation to end-it-all that's really about a different kind of little death, the guitar is unremitting through "10 fingers and 11 toes" (Eternal Fingers and Electric Toast?) all the way up to "Chemical Imbalance" the lyrics of which function both as an explanation and as a kiss-off.
However, tracks 9-12 back off significantly, perhaps as an homage to the long-gone b-side.
What can you expect to hear? Well, if you are familiar with in- the-Red labelmates/distributed-bys the Deadly Snakes, Boss Hog, Speedball Baby, Bassholes, Pussy Galore, The Dirbombs etc., you're not going to be surprised.
Buy it for "Let's Kill Ourselves" keep it for "Looking out a Mirror" and "I'll Make You a Star"
I wish there were more tiers with which to rate the band. On a 1-5, with 5 being the Second Coming of Christ or the accidental and fatal gamma-radiation exposure of The Wayne Brady Show's entire production unit and 1 being "Yentil", this is not a 5, not even a 4. This is not critical listening -- that doesn't mean it's not good or even great in some places
No less than a 3, "Laced with Romance" is going to stay on my iPod for a while.
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