Happiness Hours The Sidekicks

• 1 Other People's Pets 01:30
• 2 Mix for Rainy Day 03:24
• 3 Twin's Twist 03:53
• 4 Win Affection 03:02
• 5 A Short Dance 00:48
• 6 Don't Feel Like Dancing 03:30
• 7 Weed Tent 05:10
• 8 Summer and the Magic Trick 03:24
• 9 Serpent in a Sun Drought 03:51
• 10 Elegy for Tim 00:56
• 11 Medium in the Middle 04:39
• 12 Happiness Hours 05:48
• Total Runtime 39:55

Info for Happiness Hours

Erfrischender Noise- und Indie-Rock, der sympathisch an Grunge der 90er erinnert. The Sidekicks kommen ursprünglich aus Cleveland, Ohio. Doch inzwischen ist das Noise- und Indie-Rock- Quartett, das als High-School-Band startete und auf eine bald 15-jährige Geschichte zurückblicken kann, in Columbus ansässig.

Einem größeren Publikum bekannt wurde die Formation durch das Album »Runners In The Nerved World«, das 2015 bei Epitaph erschien. Es war zwar das Labeldebüt, aber insgesamt der dritte Langspieler der Gruppe. Interessanter Weise knüpft »Happiness Hours« soundtechnisch an »Awkward Breeds« von 2012 und damit die zweite Bandveröffentlichung an.

Darin eine gewisse Absicht zu vermuten, ist sicher nicht falsch, denn bei den Fans genießt »Awkward Breeds« bis heute maximale Reputation. »Happiness Hours« wurde von John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile) produziert und gemixt. Und das schlägt sich auch im Sound nieder, der Fans von Weezer, Dinosaur Jr. und The Menzingers rundum überzeugen dürfte.

Bei dem Dutzend Songs werden die beiden verbliebenen Urmitglieder Steve Ciolek (Gitarre) - der im Übrigen auch bei Saintseneca aktiv ist - und Matt Climer (Schlagzeug) von den beiden Neuzugängen Toby Reif an der Gitarre und Ryan Starinsky am Bass begleitet.

The Sidekicks

The Sidekicks
It's not often that people who are serious about making music stick with their "first band", but that's exactly what's happened with Steve Ciolek (Vocals & Guitar) and Matt Climer (Drums), the long–time axis and backbone behind The Sidekicks. The two Cleveland natives were childhood buds that played high school sports together and shared an interest in spikey–haired punk rock bands that would probably make them cringe today. The first incarnation of The Sidekicks was a gruff punk rock quarteet that bore the markings of bands like Against Me! and Hot Water Music; and their first proper full length, So Long, Soggy Dog, is what caught the attention of the punk scene as well as Chicago label, Red Scare. It may have been gritty, but it was a clear sign of things to come and even then these teenagers stood out from their peers. The band was dedicated to the DIY scene and toured with like–minded punk bands such as Teenage Bottlerocket, O Pioneers!!!, Cobra Skulls, etc. The band's early praise and inherent comradery somehow compelled them to stick together even as life and college took the members to four different corners of the State of Ohio. They ditched the rigid trappings of the punk aesthetic and started incorporating more melodic and sophisticated influences into their sound reminiscent of Midwestern indie–punk acts like The Replacements or Smoking Popes. With the addition of guitarist and vocalist Matt Scheuermann, The Sidekicks forged their next LP, Weight Of Air, which was named 2009's "#1 Album of the Year" by the genre's biggest fansite, Punknews.org. While their sound may have matured beyond their early punk stylings, they still abided by the underground ethos and continued to operate among the basement scene and toured the country with equally enlightened bands like Bomb The Music Industry and Tigers Jaw. At present, The Sidekicks have relocated to Columbus, Ohio, and with the addition of bassist Ryan Starinsky embark on the next chapter in their story. Through their maturing sensibilities and further experimentation upon pop structures, the band has crafted their third and finest record, Awkward Breeds, due out February 21st on Red Scare. They plan to support the album with much–anticipated touring throughout the year, including an already–booked full U.S. tour with The Menzingers and Cheap Girls, appearances at SXSW, and more. Past achievements aside, the latest offering from The Sidekicks, Awkward Breeds, will undoubtedly be considered their masterwork.

This album contains no booklet.