Streaming sounds | Bands still believe in CD as a tool
by Chris Mowder, for the Sun News KICKS!
The Wavos
"Wave Crazed EP"Having been too young to catch the New Wave craze the first time, it took me a long time to discover the stripped down synth beats and quirky, monotone lyrics of the genre. However, after stumbling upon some Talking Heads and giving myself a crash course in amazing albums by Devo, Oingo Boingo, Squeeze and Peter Gabriel, I've become a big fan of both classic and New New Wave including bands like Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, Interpol and The Killers.
That said, it's really great to see a band like The Wavos continuing the New Wave tradition by combining both the classic and modern forms and crafting them into their own form of alternative power pop.
The band members, longtime musical collaborators "Major" Joe Bace, Goredon Smyth and Tone Maul, all honed their skills as part of the New York City scene throughout the '80s and '90s before forming as The Wavos and bringing their act south to the beach. Since then they have garnered a reputation as energetic performers known for their extensive list of New Wave covers - but make no mistake, these guys are more than a cover band.
On "Wave Crazed" they offer a small, yet memorable collection of original tracks including the danceable lead track "I Must Be Crazy" and the fancifully frenetic "Aerobic Commuting." For those who want to truly immerse themselves in this old-school vibe, tracks like "I Will Show You Mine," "Tribe Girl" and "Normal Girls" will make you think it's 1982 all over again.
Buy it | Available on iTunes and CDBaby, or www.thewavos.com.
See them live | Saturday night at Drink!, 503 Eighth Ave. N. Cover is $5. Call 916-2277 for details.
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Jagos Music Presents: Press
AUDIENCES ARE HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF FOR NEW-WAVE COVERS
by Jesse Scott, for the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
The 1980s are alive and doing very well here in 2010. For living proof, look no further than The Wavos, an '80s trio from New York City that's got the electro-pop vibe down to a vintage T. "In the 1980s, we were just coming out of school, and it was such a great time for all of us," said vocalist and synthesizer player Goredon Smyth in a phone interview from New York City. Since its inception in October 2008, The Wavos (consisting of Smyth, guitarist/bassist/vocalist Joe Bace and drummer Tone Maul) have been turning modern, intimate venues into vibrant, new-wave throwbacks. From "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode to "Whip It" by Devo to "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds, The Wavos hit seemingly everything in the "Decade of Excess," and do it quite well. Of all the places the band has rocked up and down the East Coast, it has found a rather loyal following right here in Fredericksburg. Saturday's performance will be the band's fourth time playing downtown in the past year. It's easy to see why The Wavos keep coming back. Some members of the audience come in their favorite '80s garb, and the show is typically nothing short of an authentic, all-out dance party. "Fredericksburg has been a really great place for us," said Smyth. "The audience [in Fredericksburg] is unlike any other, and they really like to get into it and dance. We've put our heads together to play the best possible show we can." This time around, Smyth said, the band will focus a bit more on the "ultra popular" '80s tunes. We'll just have to see if that means more of David Bowie, New Order or one of the nearly 60 bands The Wavos cover. "We're always working on new songs," said Smyth. "We'll also be playing around a bit with our staging." Aside from simply being a "cover band," The Wavos released their first EP, "Wave Crazed," in March. It features seven delectably jagged tunes that are just as dance-inducing and original as the artists they cover. The Wavos will continue to do what they do best. "We're going to keep recording music," said Smyth. "and, of course, we continue to have a great time."
“WAVE CRAZED” by The Wavos: Electro-Magnetic!
by Jed Ryan, www.dishmiss.com
“Wave Crazed”, the debut of New York City-based band The Wavos, opens with “I Will Show You Mine”. (Note how the band doesn’t ask that we “show them ours” first.) The song’s rhythm has the elasticity of a rubber band and the frenetic tempo of an adrenaline-infused heartbeat. It’s infectious and upbeat… and children of the ’80’s will note the influences of that era’s electro-driven pop and punk right away. It’s a flashback to when music sounded good just for the sake of… well, just sounding good, damnit! Retro flavors notwithstanding, the vibe running through “Wave Crazed”– escapism through music– is as timeless as can be. You’ll just want to dance…or at least bounce around on the dance floor. Joe Bace (vocals and guitar) has a voice that’s all “the boy your mother warned you about”: hard-edged yet seductive. (Think Joey Ramone meets Adam Ant.) Goredon Smyth, who does vocals and synths, has one of the most distinctive voices you’re likely to hear on the indie music scene. For many of the tracks, his vocals sound ethereal and occasionally otherworldly– which match that the no-holes-barred spirit of the music perfectly. When Bace and Smyth sing together, it’s quite an impressive effect.Tone Maul (AKA Anthony Maulella), on percussion and e-drums, doesn’t let his energy level down for a single beat. The next track, “About You”, keeps up the frenzied pace of the CD’s opener. In fact, the first three songs of the EP come across as an extended, high-spirited jam session, full of abandon and an affable yet “So what?!” delivery by Bace and Smyth. “Tribe Girl” features some exquisite guitar work by Bace alongside some truly awesome (Hey, let’s get with the spirit of the ‘80’s now!) rhythms. For “Aerobic Commuting”, a song inspired by the manic panic that we call life in New York City, Goredon gets all the vocals to himself, and the song allows Smyth to show us a more restrained but no less far-reaching delivery. Lyrics like “Buses and trains, only half the story; Feet connect the dots hit the pavement, pounding; Nobody said life would be low-impact… Make it to the office, cool down period; Hydrate, recaffeinate; Switch gears now: motion free computing!” combine with real sounds of the city thrown in, which really add some authenticity. The multi-tasking inhabitants of the urban jungle known as Manhattan can relate. “I Must Be Crazy” sounds like the best song The Ramones never recorded; it’s the twin brother track to 1977‘s “Teenage Lobotomy”. “Normal Girls” features a truly amazing rhythm and some nicely self-indulgent electronic effects.
All three members of The Wavos– Major Joe Bace, Goredon Smyth, and Tone Maul are artists with firm roots in the NYC rock music scene of the 80’s and 90’s. It’s a testament to their combined talents that the spirit of performing live on stage (the symbiotic joy of both the musicians and their audience) comes through very well on “Wave Crazed”. The EP closes with “Keep on Shakin’”, which is what the listener will very likely do long after the last note.
(also at: http://jedcentral.blogspot.com/2010/04/now-hear-this-wave-crazed-by-wavs.html?zx=ab4cdfcd198c7a19)