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indie-snob>+!#
art contest by the like young
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Hello everyone. Welcome to another installation of indie-snob. This should be the first review in a series of reviews on here this week. Maybe one per day, maybe one every other day. Spring break is more boring than it sounds, I guess. I've already written a review for the new Sorry About Dresden album and plan to write ones for the new Black Box Recorder, Turin Brake, maybe the new Stripes, possibly Earlimart and the Aisler's Set. If you like any of those bands or think that you may like one of those bands, stay tuned. For now, here's a little review of the new Like Young album 6.1 I saw the Like Young perform almost by default back in January. I went to see Troubled Hubble, a band I also found by default when seeing Ben Kweller in DeKalb, at my favorite venue who was opening for this Chicago-native band. The Like Young, a husband-wife duo who initially went into this as a hobby has found themselves releasing their first full-length on Parasol records. Their previous releases include a single for "Looked Up" off "Art Contest," their almost-anticipated LP on Parasol Records and a split 7" with a fabulous band called S.T. Monroe. These records, to me, showed promise for this all-together too cute band. Sounding like the White Stripes doing Weezer covers from the Pinkerton era, there's nothing I can really say that would be BAD about the Like Young. Amanda and Joe Ziemba team up to do joint vocals with guitar and drums. Well-riffed, power-chorded pop-punk material really fills a room with that head-nodding feel-good music. "Even If It's Getting Late" is actually a really great song, in it's under two minutes of glory and basically a nice embodiment of what the Like Young do best. Perhaps the best representation of the Like Young comes in its single, "Looked Up" (which you could actually hear on the radio if you lived in Chicago, specifically 94.7). Joe has strong vocals and the chords are very well strummed and Amanda does some nice back ups, not to mention the wonderful melodies. I really think that it's a great song. Unfortunately, as good as the Like Young, nothing is AMAZING on this album. Sure, there are songs that you can't help to love. "Be Honest With You" is a great song, as well. Understand, though, that a garage band churning out melodies is only going to be good. It's for this that I like the Like Young. Really, I like them. I think that there is substance here, and it should not be ignored. Don't expect much from this album. But rub it in all your friends' faces who think that nothing will surpass the glory of Weezer "in the day." This does. Big time. So, if you like Weezer, I recommend this. If you enjoy melodic DIY pseudo-punk with 2 minute songs, go for it. If you like the Anniversary and live in Chicago and are over 18, go see them at the Abbey this week (tonight, actually).
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