Guilty pleasure arrives Under the Influence
By: Brandon Weiss
Issue date: 12/8/06 Section: Entertainment
Originally published: 12/8/06 at 1:10 PM EST
Last update: 12/8/06 at 1:09 PM EST
Originally published: 12/8/06 at 1:10 PM EST
Last update: 12/8/06 at 1:09 PM EST
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Initially, you might think Under the Influence of Giants is nothing special. But when you turn it off, you'll notice that you can't stop singing it. So, a warning: Before listening to their self-titled debut album, you might want to prepare yourself to have music stuck in your head for days.
Under the Influence of Giants is an old idea, but polished and modernized. The fact that the quartet is from Los Angeles comes as no surprise; their sound is relaxed, yet punchy, and obviously shameless. The band, which features drummer Jamin Wilcox, son of famed Hall and Oats drummer John Wilcox, takes inspiration from bands such as Prince, The Beatles and The Bee Gees, and could be compared to The Scissor Sisters, but pushes the envelope just a little bit more. In essence, it's disco for the new millennium. Once you listen to Under The Influence of Giants, you might find that you have no choice but to like the band. It gets stuck in your head, and if you don't like it, you'll torture yourself for days. At that point, you might as well just admit to yourself that this album rocks.
The first song on the album, "Ah Ha," is one of the catchiest. This three-minute space jam could be found in a club just as easily as it could be found on pop radio or performed at a rock show. The band's first single, "Mama's Room," is an edgy tune that combines chorusing falsetto with funny, dirty lyrics. Are they serious? Maybe, maybe not.
The fact that Under The Influence of Giants has toured with bands as serious as Mute Math and as silly as the All-American Rejects leaves me wondering what their intention is. But in the end, the band has proven to be support for selling out college arenas all around the country, and the fact that they can sell (which is no surprise) is what matters.
The bottom line is that Under the Influence of Giants is something special. The record rocks, and has multiple single-worthy songs that have the potential to be a hit. Although the question remains whether or not you will be able to remember this band's name, chances are that you will be able to remember the hook from each and every song on the album - find yourself thinking, "Who was that song by again?" Remember how you wouldn't tell your friends that you liked Crazy Town? Well, Under the Influence of Giants is America's next guilty pleasure. Prepare to dance your ass off.
Under the Influence of Giants is an old idea, but polished and modernized. The fact that the quartet is from Los Angeles comes as no surprise; their sound is relaxed, yet punchy, and obviously shameless. The band, which features drummer Jamin Wilcox, son of famed Hall and Oats drummer John Wilcox, takes inspiration from bands such as Prince, The Beatles and The Bee Gees, and could be compared to The Scissor Sisters, but pushes the envelope just a little bit more. In essence, it's disco for the new millennium. Once you listen to Under The Influence of Giants, you might find that you have no choice but to like the band. It gets stuck in your head, and if you don't like it, you'll torture yourself for days. At that point, you might as well just admit to yourself that this album rocks.
The first song on the album, "Ah Ha," is one of the catchiest. This three-minute space jam could be found in a club just as easily as it could be found on pop radio or performed at a rock show. The band's first single, "Mama's Room," is an edgy tune that combines chorusing falsetto with funny, dirty lyrics. Are they serious? Maybe, maybe not.
The fact that Under The Influence of Giants has toured with bands as serious as Mute Math and as silly as the All-American Rejects leaves me wondering what their intention is. But in the end, the band has proven to be support for selling out college arenas all around the country, and the fact that they can sell (which is no surprise) is what matters.
The bottom line is that Under the Influence of Giants is something special. The record rocks, and has multiple single-worthy songs that have the potential to be a hit. Although the question remains whether or not you will be able to remember this band's name, chances are that you will be able to remember the hook from each and every song on the album - find yourself thinking, "Who was that song by again?" Remember how you wouldn't tell your friends that you liked Crazy Town? Well, Under the Influence of Giants is America's next guilty pleasure. Prepare to dance your ass off.
