Due to a flood of insistent e-mails (well, two, and one of them was pretty apathetic), I have decided to make a few changes to this column.
It makes me glow (sweat) with warmth (the AC's broken) to get feedback on how I use this space. For example, last year, I opened the local band column the same way each time. I talked about my semi-senile parents and gave a running commentary on current events. (I was like Mystery Science Theater, only not as, um, funny.)
The columns this year were less ... me. (Namely, there were fewer grammatical errors. There was also a lack of parenthesis, a problem which has since been rectified.) The point is, I've thrown "formal journalism" out the window. So, brace yourselves. I'm back, with puns and parentheses in tow. And I present to you: Sparky's Flaw.
Sparky's Flaw's first gig was at an art show.
"It was really awkward. They paid us in pictures," vocalist and acoustic guitarist Will Anderson said.
Their next show, at an eighth-grade pool party, was better received -- until the host finally worked up the nerve to ask the band to stop playing.
"They wanted us to stop so they could do the cha-cha slide or something," Anderson laughed.
Despite this rocky start, the band has made progress since their formation in 2001. Their first album, Live from the Recording Studio, sold over 1,000 copies while the guys were still in 10th grade. SF took first place at the 2002 Charlottesville High School Battle of the Bands, first place at the 2004 Music Resource Center Battle of the Bands and first place at the 2005 U.Va. University Programs Council Battle of the Bands.
This summer they sold out Starr Hill, a venue which can hold 500 fans. You may ask yourself, "How'd they pull that many people?" (You may even ask me, "Molly, how the heck did they pull that many people?") Well, the answer lies in their music.
SF's self-described "radio-friendly, acoustic-driven pop rock" could also be classified as: what U.Va. students love.
The band cites influences like Ben Folds Five, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Guster and U2. I bet that if the facebook had a function that counted the number of BFF, DMB and U2 fans per university, we'd rank No. 1, without brea-king a sweat (assuming the AC was working).
What makes Sparky's Flaw different from other local bands is their niche at U.Va. It's more like a chasm, actually. Or the Grand Canyon. As I said, their music happens to be exactly what C-Ville wants.
To fans, Sparky's Flaw, well ... isn't. (Flawed, that is.) They've captured a nostalgic '90s rock feeling -- there are some Ben Folds Five harmonies, a little Rob Thomas guitar work and a definite O.A.R. vibe from the horn section.
"We wanted the horns to have a certain sound," Anderson said. "We wanted it to add to the song, instead of blow over it."
While the SF grooves may be familiar, their combination of instruments is decidedly untraditional. The lineup (which includes two University students) is: Anderson on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Pete DeJong on electric guitar, Alex Hargrave on bass, Eric Prum on keyboards, Kit French on saxophone and backing vocals and Johnny Stubblefield on drums and backing vocals. Their "special guest horn section" is a tuba, a trumpet and a trombone.
Forgive me, but there's a credo written in the punk/emo/indie/scenester handbook that dictates that anything popular is also crap. Being a level-headed music critic (and not accepted into any of the above groups), I want to say that even though I don't dig most popular music, I have respect for anyone who can successfully flirt with the masses. And that's what Sparky's Flaw does.
Their EP, One Small Step, was released in April. One of my favorite tracks is the appropriately-titled, "Indie Rocker." The lyrics say, "I'm not against the indie scene/the tight T-shirts or worn-out jeans/come to think of it, it sounds a bit like me/maybe I just want to be an indie rocker."
Along with the cute lyrics, the track distinguishes itself by breaking the traditional formula for rock songs. There are pretty harmonies and Barenaked Ladies-ish solos. And then, as I waited for the song to taper, the damn thing shifted into a different gear, with a simple drum beat, understated ambient noises and Anderson's pared-down voice.
Sparky's Flaw has a horn section that's charming as hell, catchy tracks and a dynamite live show. How could I slam them for sounding like a radio-friendly acoustic-driven pop rock band? After all, it's what they are. And we love them.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
