Spring Break
The Ergs! flood pop-punkwith freshness
By: Dennis Mongello
Issue date: 6/1/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Originally published: 6/1/07 at 4:13 AM EST
Last update: 6/1/07 at 4:13 AM EST
Originally published: 6/1/07 at 4:13 AM EST
Last update: 6/1/07 at 4:13 AM EST
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It's weird to think about it, but The Ergs! just released an average of one record per week for the month of May (one was even released on my birthday!). I tried to buy two of them, but apparently accepting American Express for mail order just isn't punk rock. Whatever it takes to fight the machine, sure, I'll sign up for that, but I then wish people would give me presents a little more thoughtful than these AmEx gift cards.
I was finally able to get my hands on one, and by the sound of it, the next three won't be too far behind. As the only full length, Upstairs/downstairs is the longest wave in the flood of Ergs! branded albums, and even though Mike, Jeff and Joe are from northern New Jersey, their pop-punk music sounds like it comes right from the east bay in early 90s. Think of Jawbreaker meets Green Day (back when they were butchering Operation Ivy songs, not John Lennon songs).
There are two interesting things about The Ergs! that I really like. First, their drummer is also their lead singer. I don't mean like Genesis, where Phil Collins would drum on the albums but not live, I mean like The Grabass Charlestons. Mike Yannich does both at the same time. Also, the songs are written by each member of the band. This adds a bit of depth to the album, not all the songs sound the same. Mike writes the most and writes all the broken-hearted love songs. Bassist Joe Keller's lyrics are generally more political and definitely more intellectually and literary inspired. Keller often makes geography based metaphors and dropping names like "Asimov" and having song titles like "Hysterical Fiction." You can tell guitarist Jeff Schroeck's songs because he sings both of them. He writes love songs too, but his are a little more mature and rhythmic.
While most of the song lyrics deal with romance (or the lack thereof), the music behind them is a lot more diverse. The album starts off with "Your Cheated Heart," a song more catchy than any other lead off from The Ergs! This pop anthem transitions into the slightly edgier "The Second Foundation," trading the laid back guitar licks for more meaty riffs. Probably a little over half the album sounds like these two songs, which is fine because these are a breath of fresh air into pop-punk. The variance of the other half of the album is especially great though. The bass-focused, minor-keyed "Bike Shoppe" is one of the best songs on the albums. It's a little more laid back than the rest of the fast-paced fare, and really draws a lot from what was so good about Green Day, up to and including Dookie. "See Him Again" slows the album down a bit and draws influences from the British mod scene. "Stinking of Whiskey Blues" gives off a twangy bluesy (really...) sound. The most radical song is the last song, the title track. It starts off like any other, but over the course of its 8 long minutes, it degenerates (or evolves, depending on your point of view) into an incredible psychedelic rock guitar solo. It leaves Jeff showing that he can shred with the best of them.
While Jeff is no slouch on the guitar, and Mike deserves much respect for singing and drumming simultaneously, I just want to point out that Joe Keller is probably the most insane bassist in punk rock, if not in all of rock music. His furious fingers provide the backbone of every single song. If you ever get the chance to see him perform live (and you will August 10 at the First Unitarian Church), you'll see how fast and technical he is. A bassist of his stature is what allows songs like "Bike Shoppe," which rely heavily on the bass line, to work.
Summer is upon us. Love is in the air, broken hearts are kicked to the curb. There's fun to be had and good times to be shared. Upstairs/downstairs by The Ergs! is your summer soundtrack.
I was finally able to get my hands on one, and by the sound of it, the next three won't be too far behind. As the only full length, Upstairs/downstairs is the longest wave in the flood of Ergs! branded albums, and even though Mike, Jeff and Joe are from northern New Jersey, their pop-punk music sounds like it comes right from the east bay in early 90s. Think of Jawbreaker meets Green Day (back when they were butchering Operation Ivy songs, not John Lennon songs).
There are two interesting things about The Ergs! that I really like. First, their drummer is also their lead singer. I don't mean like Genesis, where Phil Collins would drum on the albums but not live, I mean like The Grabass Charlestons. Mike Yannich does both at the same time. Also, the songs are written by each member of the band. This adds a bit of depth to the album, not all the songs sound the same. Mike writes the most and writes all the broken-hearted love songs. Bassist Joe Keller's lyrics are generally more political and definitely more intellectually and literary inspired. Keller often makes geography based metaphors and dropping names like "Asimov" and having song titles like "Hysterical Fiction." You can tell guitarist Jeff Schroeck's songs because he sings both of them. He writes love songs too, but his are a little more mature and rhythmic.
While most of the song lyrics deal with romance (or the lack thereof), the music behind them is a lot more diverse. The album starts off with "Your Cheated Heart," a song more catchy than any other lead off from The Ergs! This pop anthem transitions into the slightly edgier "The Second Foundation," trading the laid back guitar licks for more meaty riffs. Probably a little over half the album sounds like these two songs, which is fine because these are a breath of fresh air into pop-punk. The variance of the other half of the album is especially great though. The bass-focused, minor-keyed "Bike Shoppe" is one of the best songs on the albums. It's a little more laid back than the rest of the fast-paced fare, and really draws a lot from what was so good about Green Day, up to and including Dookie. "See Him Again" slows the album down a bit and draws influences from the British mod scene. "Stinking of Whiskey Blues" gives off a twangy bluesy (really...) sound. The most radical song is the last song, the title track. It starts off like any other, but over the course of its 8 long minutes, it degenerates (or evolves, depending on your point of view) into an incredible psychedelic rock guitar solo. It leaves Jeff showing that he can shred with the best of them.
While Jeff is no slouch on the guitar, and Mike deserves much respect for singing and drumming simultaneously, I just want to point out that Joe Keller is probably the most insane bassist in punk rock, if not in all of rock music. His furious fingers provide the backbone of every single song. If you ever get the chance to see him perform live (and you will August 10 at the First Unitarian Church), you'll see how fast and technical he is. A bassist of his stature is what allows songs like "Bike Shoppe," which rely heavily on the bass line, to work.
Summer is upon us. Love is in the air, broken hearts are kicked to the curb. There's fun to be had and good times to be shared. Upstairs/downstairs by The Ergs! is your summer soundtrack.
