Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Front Bottoms to release album

Riding on a crest of anticipation for a debut full-length, New Jersey indiepop duo THE FRONT BOTTOMS have announced a September 6, 2011 release date for their self-titled album on Bar/None Records (The Feelies, Of Montreal, They Might Be Giants). The band is launching the album with a FREE download of the first single "THE BEERS,"a paean about wooing a muscle-loving girl ("And I will remember that Summer / As the Summer I was taking steroids / Cuz you like a man with muscles / And I like you"), which can be downloaded here: http://www.reybee.com/the-beers. The band are also playing a handful of shows straight through the Summer, including a supporting slot for Seattle buzzband He Is We .

A well-kept secret in their homestate, the release of The Front Bottoms marks the band's national debut which will undoubtedly fuel a big step for the boys. With shows playing with bands as diverse as Minus the Bear and Vanessa Carlton and well-received spots on Bamboozle, Cupcake Fest, and Northern Jersey's indie festival Waynestock among many others, their live shows have been creating quite a stir. Described rather accurately as "quirky, endearing and unapologetically unpolished duo" by The Bergen Record, they credit their undeniable creative fusion from their long-running friendship. The Indie Post voted them as “Band to Watch in 2011,” saying, "I am almost certain that the Front Bottoms will remember this Summer as the Summer their careers finally took major flight."

Quirky yet fiercely addictive, The Front Bottoms is an oddly endearing collection of songs that is intensely musical and immediately infectious. Circling around the compact setup of acoustic guitarist Brian Sella's engaging, cracking vocals and Mathew Uychich's compelling drumming and bullhorned backing vocals, the album pulls out all the stops and propels you into a surreal world of angst-riddled observations of youth, foolish romance, and the kind of hilarious wordplay worthy of David Sedaris. It kicks off with the skewed high school nostalgia of "Flashlight" ("a lot of the kids we graduated with are now homeless") to the vivid fantasy of parental revenge ("I have this dream that I'm hitting my dad with a baseball bat... and maybe halfway through it, it has more to do with me killing him than it ever did protecting myself") to the propulsive schadenfreudian pop of "Maps" ("one day you'll be washing yourself with handsoap in a public bathroom") to the cautionary tale of buying fireworks in "Mountain" ("I bought fireworks / A big bag in Pennsylvania / I'm gonna light 'em up when I get home to Jersey / They'll probably arrest me").

The Front Bottoms is Brian Sella (vocals/guitars) and Matt Uychich (drums). Their debut album The Front Bottoms will be released September 6, 2011 on Bar/None Records.

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