If there is one thing I like about writing these little listening party intros it is telling how I came to know of a band. So here goes:
I used to see Gavin around the way (and by around the way, I mean at the Cat, naturally) and never had even the slightest clue he was in a band (which is always a good sign, when people don't start tell you about their band/acting/designing/literary/excercise video stardom dreams off the bat). And then before you knew it, I was at some bbq and he was there, and so was Kate. They both wore corduroy jackets, I am pretty sure. And I remember thinking (and probably even saying out loud multiple times that night) that Kate was one of the funniest girls I ever met, and that we should be friends.
Then they announced they had to leave because they had a show to play that night and it transpired they were in a band together called "The Alphabetical Order" (or TAO, as some people call it, around the way).
That was probably a year a go.
I still see Gavin all the time.
I never saw Kate again (she probably sensed my stalker tendencies and kept a safe distance since), but now I have listened to their music and let me tell you:
its good.
It is a little 90s loud rock in spirit (and I mean, didn't we ALL LOVE SMASHING PUMPKINS circa 95? just ADMIT IT.) but it is also one of the most clever, tongue in cheek music in the city. And they can do a pop flourish (see song 2) with the best of them.
So, they have an album out, and a party to celebrate this Sunday at the Cat and since it isn't a party unless we crash it, we asked them to walk us through their record: song by song, booming organ through jaunty lyric, and they kindly obliged.
Ladies and (hopefully) gentlemen, behold:
"I Am Magically Happening!"
The album title comes from Kate mishearing the line "I imagined it happening" in "Submarines." Thus, a dream was born, a quest was sought, and a boy set off on a course that would make a woman out of him. Also, kumquat--it's a funny word.
"Constant State"
BOOM! CRASH! Guitars, drums, bass colliding underneath a graphic description of two people physically melding into one horrible creature. A future wedding staple? We think so.
"Dress Up/Dress Down"
Well, isn't this a poppy little jaunt? Cue the cryptic references to Godard's "Breathless" (and not the Richard Gere version, although the French chick in that was so SO hot, not to mention naked for half the movie) and sly jabs at Ayn Rand (eat it, objectivists!).
"Submarines"
It's about sandwiches, simple as that. Do you not like sandwiches? Communist!
"Adderall"
You got a prescription for that, son? We didn't think so. Also--can an organ ever be TOO loud?
"A Mockery of Taste"
We'll take the self-deprecation special with a side of epic, crescendoing outro.
"Foundation"
No Isaac Asimov, but plenty of Maybelline. They'll say it's not natural--oh, what would they know?
"Shot From Cannons"
Maybe the world didn't need another song built on an extended metaphor of children flying spaceships, but we wrote one anyway. Also, refer to earlier question re: organ.
"Living Shells"
They're not just filled with ricotta and spinach... THEY'RE ALIVE! And swimming in vodka sauce.
"This Too Shall Pass"
An ode to a kidney stone.
"Gestalt"
It all comes together when it's falling apart.
photography: Joel Didriksen http://www.kingpinphoto.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thealphabeticalorder
God loves a cheerful giver.
Kate makes me wear her sister's red dresses from the 80's. See you guys Sunday.
Is there any correlation between the fact that Alpha Order now has ads up on BYT and now have a feature up on BYT? I really hope not. I've seen them play - they are truly terrible. Probably the worst band you've ever posted here. Embarrassing.
There is no correlation as all local band ads on BYT are free, and put up discretion of us. As a thank you to the bands for doing what they do in DC.
Wow. It takes a lot of balls to hate on a band anonymously. Kudos.
It's true. We paid handsomely to have this feature in BYT. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Cash rules everything around me, son. It cost me my whole trust fund, but it was totes worth it. We even paid Svetlana to deny it. While we're dropping bombs, we paid off the DAM! Fest to cancel their R'n'R Lottery, and we slipped some crisp ones to Radiohead to drop their album this week, just to get everyone all hyped about new music.
Because we're made of cash. Believe it.
Stay in the practice space if you can't take it, don't believe your press, and most of all, NEVER reply to bloggers.
Learn this... then live it. Please.
Big rock stars like us have such fragile egos, we can't be expected to exercise that sort of restraint. We're just overgrown children, you know.
I'm going to use all of the Alphabetical Order advertising dollars we scandalously raked in to bribe the judges at at the AIGA Flux competition that ERIK IS A FINALIST IN FOR HIS STYLEISTICS WORK.
Me and Marshall of The District Line just took a little swim in my money vault a la Scrooge McDuck.
Wait, we can charge for ads?
As for me, I hate on bands frequently and publicly. The Alphabetical Order is worse than Hitler and Osama tied in a great big sack of evil.
The libel will continue until TAO buys a year's worth of ads at my site (www.gavinsnipplering.com).
TAO jumped the shark when they stopped hiring drummers named after forms of buttsex.
Ashraf Younes IS a form of buttsex, it's just a foreign one you've never heard of.