By Katie Potzick
The Jonny Lives! CD cover may cause some to be skeptical of the musical merit of a band that has an exclamation point in their name – reminding many of the 1980s pop band Wham!.
However, the old cliché rings true and listeners will definitely surprised by what comes out of the speakers. “Get Steady” is a great debut for Jonny Lives!.
It has plenty of hooks and catchy lyrics, but not in a cloying boy band kind of way. The Village Voice described their sound as, “Post Radiohead pop/rock with teaming guitars and airy vocals.” Jonny Lives! has a unique sound that is heavily influenced by their origins in New York City’s underground clubs. Their gritty guitar playing is reminiscent of fellow New York band The Strokes. Interestingly, one can also hear undertones of the British invasion bands of the 1960s. In fact, the band said they are inspired by a number of bands from that era including: The Kinks, The Who and The Rolling Stones.
“Get Steady” contains both upbeat rock numbers that will have one dancing around their dorm room and more contemplative songs perfect for unwinding. It was a no-skip album from start to finish, but the real standouts were “Everybody’s Trying to Break You Down” and “Something About It.”
“Everybody’s Trying to Break You Down” opens with a driving guitar beat and then hooks the audience with husky vocals, which are nice for walking across campus. The whole album makes excellent driving music.
Jonny Lives! is on the “Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj” movie soundtrack and the band is currently touring with Everclear on the “Van Wilder Rock Tour.” They have already toured in the United Kingdom with such artists as Sonic Youth and The Kaiser Chiefs.
Their live shows inspired U.K. rock magazine New Musical Express to declare them as “pant-droppingly brilliant.” Jonny Lives! will play at headliners Music Hall on April 25.
