The Shames

 

HOMETOWN: New York, NY
GENRE: Pop/Rock
SOUNDS LIKE: The Strokes, The Velvet Underground, The Ramones

 

The Shames follow in a grand tradition of New York City bands going back to the Velvet Underground and continuing through the Ramones and, more recently, the Strokes. Not that they sound specifically like any of those bands, just that they embody the same unique New York “state of mind” as each of those bands.

 

Beginning with “Cry When You're Drunk” (which does, in fact, sound a lot like the VU), The Shames kick off their debut album, The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, in decadent style. Yes, they're here; but they could be in better shape. “Pull My Head” continues in this vein, with some nifty time changes (showing the Strokes influence, no doubt), then segues nicely into “Blame,” a VU-style ballad about a messed-up girl you can't help but love anyway. Indeed.

 

“I've Seen The Man” updates one of Lou Reed's favorite themes, while “Wedding Day” and “Tried To Be Lonely” pair downer lyrics with upbeat music that belies the romantic heart that beats under the hood of this band. Lead singer Tim Archer may try to come across as a jaded rock 'n roller, but all he really wants is what any of us wants at the end of the day: true love. Is that too much to ask?

 

Like New York City itself, The Transmigration Of Timothy Archer has a rough exterior but a soft heart. Nowhere is this more evident than the closing track, “Feel So Sad,” a classic pop-rock song that would not be out of place on either Loaded or Is This It. It's an incandescent pop song full of bitterness and heartache — and, ultimately, hope. Sort of like the city it that spawned it.

 

> Click here to visit the official Shames website
> Read a review of The Shames

 

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