Teenage Kicks

Before Teenage Kicks officially released their latest 7” with a set at Sneaky Dee’s this past Friday night, Sandman Viper Command took to the stage to spill out their growingly catchy garage pop to the crowd. The Burlington band, who performed as part of The Beatles vs. The Stones night at the same venue the previous Friday, ripped through their set of kind of dainty and yet kind of callous tracks, all of which were absorbed by the dense crowd.

Tracks like “Oh Yeah, It’s Fusion” demonstrate the band’s ability to compose a simple, but intricate pop song with fragmented transitions, clean riffs, and pleasingly messy chord progressions that translate perfectly from record to stage. Frontman Rob Janson delivered each understated melody in an effortless and honest manner, all the while being backed by the unit of steady musicians that make up the rest of the band.

Teenage Kicks then proceeded to take the stage, performing songs including their 7” release “Shook Our Bones,” which can be downloaded with “I Get What You Give” for free at juicebox.com. Lead singer Peter van Helvoort’s gritty voice accompanied by the band’s signature raunchy powerchords juxtaposed nicely with the melodic guitar fills and straightforward lyrics featured in tracks such as the newly released single, sounding even more scintillating live on stage. Teenage Kicks consistently delivered classic working-class-esque rock for their entire set, pleasing the crowd with many of their own compositions and even an excellent re-working of Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools,” adding their own humble rock spin on the classic song.

If this Friday night was an indication of anything, Sandman Viper Command and Teenage Kicks are two examples of humble local talent, with the ability to leave their listeners and audience with the feeling that they’ve just witnessed an authentic rock show.

For More,
MySpace (Teenage Kicks): http://www.myspace.com/teenagekicksteenagekicks
MySpace (Sandman Viper Command): http://www.myspace.com/sandmanvipercommand

Missed out? Then catch Teenage Kicks at the El Mocambo on September 17th and Sandman Viper Command at the Silver Dollar on October 1!