The Thrills

imaginary char — Wed, 28 Jan 2004 08:00:00 +0000

28 Jan 2004

Most bands live up to their reputations; most bands live up to their reviews; but do most bands live up to their names?

The Catch — yes
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — um, no
The Cure — to some people, I suppose
The Thrills — to be determined

With their references to Santa Cruz, Hollywood kids, sunshine and their surfy poppy gone Americana sound, The Thrills are the most California sounding Irish band I've ever heard. The only evidence that this band wasn't born and raised in the good ol' U. S. of A. was Conor Deasy's blaring accent saying "Thank you… cheers" at the end of every song. Like most giddy American girls, I get a warm longing in my heart every time some chap substitutes "cheers" for "thank you". It makes me want a mail order groom from England. I think that Jamie Oliver from the Naked Chef has something to do with that… but that's an entirely different fascination of mine which I'll save for my diary.

The Thrills are a joyful blend of catchy hooks, playful songwriting, sensible rock guitar with a scosh of a country back bone that makes listeners from KEXP to the Mountain crank up and sing along. The blend of people at the show attested to their diverse following. Indie rock to mom and pop, these kids entertained. I've listened to their debut album, "So Much for the City", and it's obvious without turning on the radio which songs are {or are soon to be} their hits. Within the first guitar strums of these songs, the crowd went nutty, affirming my assessment. Most bands who put out their first album hope they have one signature song that will get them the coveted "record deal". The Thrills have three or four. They must have sensed this because for a year they told their parents they had a record deal and were on the brink of becoming famous, which {at the time} were both lies. Now that's physic power at it's best. But, do they live up to their name?

There was a minimal amount of fluff in their set. Not a lot of stage banter, exchanged looks between band members or joke telling. There was, however, a lot of prompting for the audience to put their hands in the air and clap. This congregational act never fails to remind me of the Sure deodorant commercials from the late 80's. I see the camera focus on the happy girl, arms in full extension over her head, smiling while the background music sings "sure… sure… sure" and then the camera pans over to her hesitant date for the evening who has his arms securily clamped to his sides as he attempts to clap using only the lower part of his arms and the chanting switches to "unsure… unsure… unsure."

Speaking of the 80's, my favorite song of the Thrills set was a new gem called "What Ever Happened to Corey Haim?" The layered harmonies were pretty enough to make the Beach Boys smile.

Oh wait, I haven't answered my question. As I was leaving the Crocodile that night, I was elated, smiling, giddy and ready to take on the world. One might say I was, yes I'm just going to say it… I was thrilled by the Thrills*.

*The actual band name was derived from Phil Spector's Sixties girl groups and Michael Jackson's famous EP.

Most bands live up to their reputations; most bands live up to their reviews; but do most bands live up to their names?

Best of 2003: Top 100 Imaginary Albums of the Year

three imaginary girls — Sat, 03 Jan 2004 08:00:00 +0000

You voted, and we tabulated. Now you can print and clip the top 100 imaginary albums of the year list for your post-holiday-gift-certificate shopping pleasure...

The Postal Service, "Give Up"
The Shins, "Chutes Too Narrow"
Death Cab for Cutie, "Transatlanticism"
Radiohead, "Hail To The Thief"
Outkast, "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below"
The White Stripes, "Elephant"
The Long Winters, "When I Pretend To Fall"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Fever to Tell"
The New Pornographers, "Electric Version"
The Decemberists, "Her Majesty, the Decemberists"
The Strokes, "Room On Fire"
The Wrens, "The Meadowlands"
The Divorce, "There Will Be Blood Tonight"
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, "Hearts of Oak"
Nada Surf, "Let Go"
Visqueen, "King Me"
Idlewild, "The Remote Part"
Junior Senior, "D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat"
Cat Power, "You Are Free
Belle & Sebastian, "Dear Catastrophe Waitress"
The Rapture, "Echoes"
The Darkness, "Permission to Land"
The Thermals, "More Parts Per Million"
The Dandy Warhols, "Welcome To The Monkey House"
The Lights, "Beautiful Bird"
Stellastarr*, "Stellastarr*"
Various Artists, "Lost in Translation" Soundtrack
Massive Attack, "100th Window"
The Mars Volta, "De-Loused in the Comatorium"
Wonderful, "God Bless Our Pad"
British Sea Power, "Decline of British Sea Power"
The Delgados, "Hate"
Jayhawks, "Rainy Day Music"
Los Halos, "Leaving Va."
Mogwai, "Happy Songs for Happy People"
My Morning Jacket, "It Still Moves"
The Aislers Set, "How I Learned to Write Backwards"
The Thrills, "So Much for the City"
Kaito, "Band-Red"
Basement Jaxx, "Kish Kash"
Gillian Welch, "Soul Journey"
Grandaddy, "Sumday"
The Decemberists, "Castaways and Cutouts"
Twilight Singers, "Blackberry Belle"
Sun Kil Moon, "Ghosts of the Great Highway"
American Analog Set, "Promise of Love"
Damien Jurado, "Where Shall You Take Me?"
The Hidden Cameras,"The Smell Of Their Own"
Cursive, "The Ugly Organ"
Clearlake, "Cedars"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Take Them On, On Your Own"
Mojave 3, "Spoon & Rafter"
Rufus Wainwright, "Want One"
Calexico, "Feast of Wire"
Crooked Fingers, "Red Devil Dawn"
Sleepy Jackson, "Lovers"
Fountains Of Wayne, "Welcome Interstate Managers"
Manitoba, "Up in Flames"
Pretty Girls Make Graves, "New Romance"
Andrew Bird, "Weather Systems"
Johnny Cash, "Unearthed"
The Libertines, "Up the Bracket"
The Paybacks, "Knock Loud"
Broadcast "Haha Sound"
Deerhoof, "Apple 'O"
Menomena, "I Am the Fun Blame Monster!"
Fanny Pack,"So Stylistic"
Jet, "Get Born"
Kinky, "Atlas"
The Notwist, "Neon Golden"
Broken Social Scene, "You Forgot It In People"
Ed Harcourt, "From Every Sphere"
Exploding Hearts, "Guitar Romantic"
The Kills, "Keep On Your Mean Side"
Blur, "Think Tank"
Four Tet, "Rounds"
Kings of Leon, "Youth & Young Manhood"
The Drive-By Truckers, "Decoration Day"
The Minus 5, "Down With Wilco"
The Orb, "Bicycles and Tricycles"
Downpilot, "Leaving Not Arriving"
Longwave, "The Strangest Things"
Okkervil River, "Down the River of Golden Dreams"
The Malinks, "Can't Shake Last Night"
The Stills, "Logic Will Break Your Heart"
United State of Electronica, "Demo"
Guided By Voices, "Earthquake Glue"
Anna Oxygen, "All Your Faded Things"
Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man "Out of Season"
Dead Meadow, "Shivering King and Others"
Martina Topley-Bird, Quixotic"
Rachel's, "Systems/Layers"
The Fitness,"Call Me for Together"
The Primate Five, "1234567APE"
Triple R, "Friends"
Holopaw, "Holopaw"
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, "Nocturama"
Smog, "Supper"
The Bad Plus, "These are the Vistas"
The Gossip,"Movement"

A list of the top 100 records of 2003 as voted on by you, our fabulous imaginary readers.

Three Imaginary Girls - The Thrills

The Thrills

Best of 2003: Top 100 Imaginary Albums of the Year