Doctor Squid and The Beat Seekers

Doctor Squid “Doctor Squid”
Doctor Squid is a lively Athens, GA band lead by Larry Cardinal and Mark Spurlock. This is one of those bands that doesn’t fit nicely in a pigeonhole — they remind me of  a lot of early Weezer (Blue album), with a touch of The Creaky Boards, Police and Green Day. This is also very catchy alternative pop as evidenced by the bouncy “On My Way.” The loud “Whoa” chorus gets stuck in your head pretty quickly. “Take A Look” makes good use of those background “oohs” and hand claps with a driving bass line. The buzzing guitar and gentle harmonies of “Things We’ve Chased” and “Victoria” is juxtaposed by verse that describe a set of interesting situations about women.  The funkier songs here have a studied sloppiness to them that is both compelling and laid back (“Down By The River” and “Atomic Reaction”). One of the best songs “3am Electric” has a persistent rhythm and great lyrics. The music is pretty consistent and a few times they try to get too cute (like the very long “The Day It Rained Hot Coffee”),  but these missteps are rare in an overall very good debut.  Download the single “On My Way” for FREE

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The Beat Seekers “Dead Air Radio”
It’s fair to say that this Omaha, Nebraska band has studied it’s homework. It was recorded at Gravity and Full Motion Studios in Chicago, IL with producer Matt Opal, using both analog and digital techniques, to get across the theme of an AM radio show. The clean sound of “All Dolled Up” recalls the Del Amitri, The Elvis Brothers and Farrah. The album’s title track is a fast paced toe tapper and the guitar on “Cinderellas Demise” has a wonderful jangle rhythm. The Rembrandts-like guitar strum and light chorus are recalled on “Passerby.” But the album hits a home run with “Lipstick Crush Delight” a wonderful melodic song full of strong riffs and harmonic perfection. The other tracks try to be as tight, and nearly succeed with hook filled middle eights and minor chords all over “Anything Wont Do.” Even the country twangs of “Save Tonight” keep up the energy level here. The near acoustic ballad “Better Days” remind me of Extreme’s “More Than Words” a little bit. The band tries a little too hard for “Solutions M.I.A.” but that can be forgiven with this superb 14 track effort. This is a band to keep on your radar for sure.

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