Scott Irvine
04/07/07, 03:32 PM
Street Smart Cyclist - Demo 2006!
Released February, 2006
Our Neighborhood Records
Cap’n Jazz ruined me. Fascination for Midwest-bred proto-emo has yet to see itself out of the picture and I’ve never been the same since. Analphabetapolothology is permanently ingrained in my car stereo and I can’t muster up enough strength to ride without it. Its youthful energy, its unorthodox measures, its brilliance – that album is just too damn addictive. I’ve never been the same since.
Now in terms of attempting to explore outside the usual slew of recommendations that come with liking such 90’s underground juggernauts, I could say it was honestly fairly minimal. Castor was about as deep as I got and that was just fine. It wasn’t until quite recently that a Midwestmo revival of sorts became apparent. Cue local Bethlehem, Pennsylvania favorites Street Smart Cyclist. With a tenacity that is a take-back to early influences such as Braid and The Get Up Kids, Cyclist plows through three excellent songs with a fervor that brings a tear to my eye.
Demos never really find their place in my stereo all too much, save for this one. Each of the three songs are instant classics, even surpassing the very bands of old they share similarities with at certain points. “Hoods Up!”, a fan favorite, is a fair representation of how invaluable singer John Galm is to the band. Some could call his vocals ‘gruff’ or ‘unconventional’, but that doesn’t stop him from breaking free from the norm and pushing the band in a completely hectic direction the way Tim Kinsella did so many years ago. “Pastor of Muppets” is the first song I heard from Street Smart Cyclist and remains to be one of my favorites no matter how many times it is rotated. It just has this very controlled chaos that is hard to describe. Crunchy yet buoyant bass lines courtesy of Nate Dionne and swimming guitar lines from Jon Geeting, Kevin DeFranco, and Ross Brazuk top the song off perfectly. “The Three Lane Cut” closes out the demo with the better envisioned song of the three. It's about the same tempo as "Hoods Up!" and "Pastor of Muppets", but something about it reaches further into this band's undeniable talent. A truly great performance, speaking of, is heard here from drummer Dave Geeting with his chugging, math-y spin on the instrument.
Street Smart Cyclist is all I could ever want in a band and more. They are a powerful presence in what I hope to be a returning style we lost track of when, arguably, the beloved Braid disbanded. Sit down and listen to what real passion in music sounds like. Only then will you understand what Street Smart Cyclist has accomplished with a mere three-song demo.
Released February, 2006
Our Neighborhood Records
Cap’n Jazz ruined me. Fascination for Midwest-bred proto-emo has yet to see itself out of the picture and I’ve never been the same since. Analphabetapolothology is permanently ingrained in my car stereo and I can’t muster up enough strength to ride without it. Its youthful energy, its unorthodox measures, its brilliance – that album is just too damn addictive. I’ve never been the same since.
Now in terms of attempting to explore outside the usual slew of recommendations that come with liking such 90’s underground juggernauts, I could say it was honestly fairly minimal. Castor was about as deep as I got and that was just fine. It wasn’t until quite recently that a Midwestmo revival of sorts became apparent. Cue local Bethlehem, Pennsylvania favorites Street Smart Cyclist. With a tenacity that is a take-back to early influences such as Braid and The Get Up Kids, Cyclist plows through three excellent songs with a fervor that brings a tear to my eye.
Demos never really find their place in my stereo all too much, save for this one. Each of the three songs are instant classics, even surpassing the very bands of old they share similarities with at certain points. “Hoods Up!”, a fan favorite, is a fair representation of how invaluable singer John Galm is to the band. Some could call his vocals ‘gruff’ or ‘unconventional’, but that doesn’t stop him from breaking free from the norm and pushing the band in a completely hectic direction the way Tim Kinsella did so many years ago. “Pastor of Muppets” is the first song I heard from Street Smart Cyclist and remains to be one of my favorites no matter how many times it is rotated. It just has this very controlled chaos that is hard to describe. Crunchy yet buoyant bass lines courtesy of Nate Dionne and swimming guitar lines from Jon Geeting, Kevin DeFranco, and Ross Brazuk top the song off perfectly. “The Three Lane Cut” closes out the demo with the better envisioned song of the three. It's about the same tempo as "Hoods Up!" and "Pastor of Muppets", but something about it reaches further into this band's undeniable talent. A truly great performance, speaking of, is heard here from drummer Dave Geeting with his chugging, math-y spin on the instrument.
Street Smart Cyclist is all I could ever want in a band and more. They are a powerful presence in what I hope to be a returning style we lost track of when, arguably, the beloved Braid disbanded. Sit down and listen to what real passion in music sounds like. Only then will you understand what Street Smart Cyclist has accomplished with a mere three-song demo.