The Animal Show » the Ivy League

Did Brown Reinvent the Wheel?

dfjacobs — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:42:28 +0000

Teenage fun

After reading my first few articles, hopefully you are all thinking, “Edward struck gold again, who is this young Renaissance man?” And while I hope that the belief applies to more of you than my mother, I trust that you are not so outraged by my writing and musical selections that you find yourselves collectively organizing to storm my house, pitchforks in hand, asking for my head, or at least my wordpress password. Remember, Edward has his reasons for everything; I was not just brought to the Show to end my incessant begging.

You see, young Skywalkers, the educational establishment which I attend happens to be the very same institution that famed Ivy League front man Adrian Simon and lesser known yet equally awesome Ivy League guitarist Alex Beer attend. And it just so happens that I am actually pretty good friends with the both of ‘em. Now, what does this mean you ask? Didn’t the Ivy League disband? Well, yes and no. Yes they did, but it lasted about 30 minutes. They have a new CD in the mixing stages and from the one or two songs I’ve heard, you will not be disappointed. “Adrian Simon and other kids playing instruments” stay true to their bubble gum pop roots and a bust out an even tighter record than their debut (I say all this having heard only two of their new songs, although I have heard most of the others live).

But for all of you New York based readers (or at least those of you within 6 hours driving distance), boy, do I have a surprise for you! November 14th at Don Hill’s, Adrian, Alex, Dan Hockstein (the regular bassist, for all of you non-Ivy aficionados), and Griffin Emerson (a dashing young drummer who’s been groomed for the role of drummer for about 4 years), will all assemble to play a show entirely devoted to covers. And good ones too, I can’t reveal the set list, but I can give you three previews of classic Ivy covers. I think it’s safe to say I’ll see most of you in a few weeks.

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The Good Life (Kanye West Cover) – Adrian Simon (YSI)

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Sleepyhead (Passion Pit Cover) – Adrian Simon (YSI)

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Buy U a Drank (T-Pain Cover) – The Ivy League (YSI)

But really, go to the Ivy League concert, it’s gonna be insane.

Cooler than Cornell, Hipper Than Brown, Less Fratty Than Dartmouth: The Ivy League's "The North Star" In Review

Edward — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:34:52 +0000

Aw, dudes! Remember how much fun being in high school was? Parents are totally lame.

Once upon a time, I told you about the Ivy League. They were a high-school band, scorching a hot little corner of Facebook with a fan page that got updated more frequently than Kanye West’s Twitter and which was frequented by someteen-year-old girls with arm’s-length self-portrait glamor shots for profile pictures who would write their love messages like, “I WANT UR MUSIC ON MY IPOD!” or “HEyyyyyy, rEmembeR me?!? IT’s kATie! fROM FRenCH WoODS! I LUUUUUVVVVV YOOOOUUUU!” It was a scary place. But I braved the stench of Axe and post-Goldschlager Coke chasers into that Teenage Dungeon (Teengeon?) to bring you back the Gorgon head of the Ivy League’s jams, guaranteed to turn you to stone with their white-hot rock.

Well, since then every member of the band has grown at least three inches. At least one member of the quartet has gotten his driver’s license (or so I’ve been told), so they no longer have to ask Dad to drive them to their gigs (as long as they’re back before curfew). And they’ve released an album. That’s where I come back in. I’m about to review its brains out. Brace yourself, kids: this band’s about to get the Animal Show bump.

The Ivy League’s music plays like a Will Ferrel movie: although you can see the jokes coming a mile away, you still laugh until you’re Lizzing. Yes, I’d probably name Weezer, Jock Jams, and American Hi-Fi as their biggest influences (347 blogpoints to the person who can name an American Hi-Fi song that isn’t “Flavor of the Week), but I like all of those things. These kids deliver feel-good jams, sing-along songs to make the drive to the East Village from Bronxville all the more bearable. Amirite, dudes?

Overdriven, power-chorded guitars and slamming cymbals accompany Adrian Simon’s vocals, the timbre of which runs the middle ground somewhere between Brian Wilson’s melodic falsetto, Freddie Mercury’s melodic falsetto, and Brad Delp’s melodic falsetto. But he’s not falsettoing. All chest voice. It’s damn high, and pretty damn good. Inimitable, to say the least. It’s perhaps strongest, though, when accompanied by bassist Dan Hockstein’s startlingly strong vox in “Irony (Without the Iron)” (a song he co-penned with Simon, the only collab on the album), which provides much-needed tonic, the Kool-aid Blast to accompany Simon’s Zebra Cake down your gullet. (Why isn’t this kid appearing more, vocally? If that Kool-aid comment doesn’t win this band over, I don’t know what will.)

The songs go down as easy as the first can of Sprite after three weeks at camp: they’re contraband, sweet and cool, as sugary as your teeth can take. They’re familiar, and yet with a twist of citrus. Their caloric intake is so great that your mom will only let you have one listen a day. But I’m in college, Mom, and you can’t reach me here. I’ll listen all night, and wake up tomorrow morning with a sugar-hangover reminiscent of Bar Mitzvah nights. Because I can. This is air-guitaring, squinch-faced squealing, foot-stomping music. This is the sound of Kevin getting his first kiss with Winnie. This is everything on Nick in 1995, with extra slime on the side. It’s the Legends of the Hidden Temple grand prize of brand-new Hushpuppies, and maybe a lifetime supply of Nerds. It’s everything I keep getting told I should have outgrown years ago, but haven’t.

I do have a few caveats, however. For example, the lyrics are downright Third Eye Blindian in their cookie-cutter patterns and repeated themes. And there are a couple duds on the album. “Travellin’ Song” is completely and totally unremarkable, lacking even the Ivy League’s customary melodicity. “Burn It Up Baby” is the obligatory self-aware recognition of PARTY LIFE WOO (albeit with some nasty synth). But seriously kids, the next song I hear with “let’s get this party started” in the lyrics will force me to put my fist into my own ear canal, most likely ending my life in the process. And that wouldn’t be pretty.

Also, this may be the lamest name for a band ever. I can think of about a dozen in 30 seconds which would be a million times better: Captain Jif and the Fluffernutters, Juicicle, Orca Orgasm, Knock Hockey, Sparklebug, Sworditar, Uncle Fumerous and the Frosted Miniguns, Adrian Simon’s Band With Some Other Kids Who Play Instruments (I’ve heard this was a serious contender for the title), or Greasewhistle. Maybe you should consider these for the future.

And then there’s the issue of “Irony (Without the Iron).” This was the first Ivy League song I ever heard, and I was sent it by a friend whose accompanying note was something to the extent of, “this is really good, as long as you ignore the fact that the chorus is note-for-note the same as Spoon’s ‘The Underdog.’” It’s true; it is. Like laughably close. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the song. It may be my favorite on the album. But every time I hear “The Underdog” these days, I can’t help but laugh thinking of the defenses I’ve heard second- and third-hand, things like, “the guys swear they wrote ‘Irony’ before ‘Underdog’ ever came out” or “sources close to the band vehemently deny any connection.” Fess up, dudes — I caught you.

Ultimately, though, all the faults I can find with these kids I’m willing to write off. Every album has a couple duds. And “Irony” is packaged so nicely, its potential plagiarism has never drawn away from my enjoyment of the song. As for the Third Eye Blind, Weezer, Jock Jams, and American Hi-Fi comparisons, who’s to say those are insults? What I love about the Ivy League is that they sound just like everything I loved in 7th grade, and are exactly what I wanted my attic-jam-sessions bands to sound like. They’ve pulled it off with musical grace and elegance, and for that I can’t help but love them. Even if I could never, ever get my voice to attain the heights of Simon’s Gene Simmons yowl.

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Out of this Town – The Ivy League

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Whoa – The Ivy League

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Irony (Without the Iron) – The Ivy League

Download the album for free here, and, for those about to rock, the Show salutes you.

PS: It is my sad duty to inform you that this debut album will be the Ivy League’s only, as the band plans to break up by the end of the summer. An ephemeral glimmer. Grab ‘em on tour while you can, and before they grow beards and try to be Williamsburg hipsters instead of UES chipsters.

Barely League-al

Edward — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:59:04 +0000

This is what rock looks like.

For a while now, I’ve been nursing a painful addiction. An addiction to The Ivy League (and awkward hooks to blog posts). “Who are the Ivy League?” you cry from way out in cyberspace. See, that’s why I’m the blogger and you’re the readers. I find this shit, man. Remember that French band? I’m here for you, sending you the jams and giving much-needed exposure. And, believe me, the Ivy League is long-overdue for some good hyping.

Not to be confused with “This is Ivy League,” The Ivy League is a high-school band. Yes, you read that right. I’ve been told that only one of the members of the band has his driver’s license. And they have to bum smokes when they’re trying to look cool lurking in the alleyways behind their venues after blasting through their set. But instead of being like the bands you were forced to listen to in high school because the drummer was one of your oldest quote-unquote friends, these guys don’t bother with noise or ego-tripping solos. Instead, they’ve managed to find a pattern which works really damn well for them — they write songs with musical sensibilities years above their time, dealing in squeaky-clean pop hooks and infectious lyrics. Though I’d be lying if I said this band was breaking any real musical ground, they’ve molded a sound that I can only describe as being like Pop Rocks: the Ivy League’s music explodes in your mouth with impressive force and a pleasantly sweet aftertaste, simultaneously surprising and pleasantly familiar. Just don’t drink Coke while listening, or something.

FUN FACT: Adrian Simon, the lead singer of the Ivy League, is the son of the Legendary Paul Simon. FUN FACT #2: Sometimes, famous musicians’ kids make music, too. (Consequently, I would argue that I’d be more impressed if Art Garfunkel’s kid were making cool music. I mean, Paul Simon’s pretty good and all, but he never guest-starred on PBS’ Arthur.)

I’ve attached two of my favorite Ivy League songs below. Be sure to go to their purevolume site and download the single, “Hallelujah! It’s the New Year!”

High school never sounded so good:

California’s Burning (Under the Knife) – the Ivy League

Honey, These Words Won’t Write Themselves – the Ivy League

Their debut album, North Star, is due out in the next couple months. I’ll keep you posted.