Stemming from New York City's East Village, Jonny Lives! is a band that utilizes its roots for all they're worth and has been widely recognized as a truly New York band. Spin.com has labeled them, "the soundtrack to the city." They are also referred to as, "downtown bar punks" by "The Village Voice." But can Johnny Lives! transfer their live urban energy into an album that attracts listeners nationwide?
This album proves that Jonny Lives! indeed lives for New York City.
"The East Village of NYC is our muse," said lead singer/guitarist Jonny Dubowsky in the band's press kit.
"People are up to no good every night; there's a copious amount of debauchery going on, and it's all inspiration for our music. The band is out almost every night writing about life as it happens, mostly at 3 a.m., when people are performing lewd acts in public places," he said.
The members of Jonny Lives! have used their urban upbringing, as well as lessons on hotel-trashing and binge drinking from the likes of Dave Grohl, to ingrain a "sleazy, psychedelic groove," as Dubowsky refers to it, in their music.
Although this is the first album put out by Jonny Lives!, Dubowsky has been playing gigs in NYC clubs like CBGB since he was 13. He graduated from New York University with top honors as a philosophy and literature student, which he said has influenced his songwriting. Dubowsky said that Marcel Proust and Walt Whitman have inspired his songwriting just as much as The Rolling Stones and The Kinks.
Like many upcoming bands in this day and age, Jonny Lives! has used the Internet, and sites such as MySpace, as a catalyst for its popularity.
"With the radio dying out, putting your music online is the way to go," said guitarist Christian Langdon, in the band's press kit.
With a spot on the soundtrack of "National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj," a nationwide tour alongside Everclear and a cameo from The Strokes' Nick Valensi on their debut album, it seems as if the internet exposure sure is helping Jonny Lives!
The album's title track, "Get Steady," is certainly catchy but, unfortunately, lacking in substance. While the chorus, which repeats "I'm ready / I'm ready / Get steady," is infectious, the verses fall short of memorable. The guitar solo, about a minute and half into the song, however, helps make up for any lack of substance in the verses and makes this song a pretty decent one.
In their press kit, the band talks about how the track "Everybody's Trying to Break You Down," was inspired by Yoko Ono's exhibition at Carnegie Hall years ago.
"She stood on stage wearing only a burlap sack, and everyone in the audience came up and cut off a piece, bit by bit, until she was naked," said Dubowsky.
"The song is about a bartender who hates where she is in her life, who feels like everybody is picking her apart, taking pieces of her. It's from the perspective of a guy who is in awe of her and doesn't understand why she's letting people treat her that way."
In the song, the man eventually gets tired of watching this woman sell herself short, and he leaves her with the words, "Baby it's too late, and I am so tired."
A highlight of the album is the track "Lost My Mind." The beginning of the song is reminiscent of the early Beatles' sound, especially Dubowsky's vocals. The song seems to be about Dubowsky's frustrations with small talk and superficial relationships.
He sings, "I'm tired of killing time / I'm fine thanks, How are you?"
Jonny Lives! has a very British-garage rock sound, reminiscent of bands like Razorlight. That being said, they seemingly have a more successful future within the European market, as opposed to the U.S.
The debut album, "Get Steady" is scheduled for release on March 6.
Be the first to comment on this article!