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By Kimberly Egolf
2007.1
Struggling through the deep winter months? Tired of dealing with snow, rain, and cold? Try going Under the Influence… of Giants, that is. The self-titled debut album from this Southern California band will pick up your spirits and remind you of the warm summer months. At the very least, it’ll get you to dance and generate enough heat to forget the cold for a few minutes!
In 2004, Scissor Sisters began paving the international way for a pop revival of glorious 70s-influenced dance culture. And Under the Influence of Giants’ mission, according to singer Aaron Bruno, is to follow in this path: “We want to make pop cool again,” he declares. And this album will certainly help them reach that goal.
Featuring 11 groove-based tracks, the self-titled album draws together four young musicians (previously involved in other major-label bands) who aren’t afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves. The disco-era influences are the most immediately apparent on the album. Aaron Bruno’s falsetto vocal accompanied by Jamin Wilcox’s beats, Drew Stewart’s guitars, and David Amezcua’s basslines will instantly transport you into the world of “Saturday Night Fever” – whether you actually lived it the first time around or whether you’ve fallen in love with it later in your life. But the band also cites pop influences as varied as the Talking Heads (listen to “Ah-ha”), Michael Jackson and Prince (listen to “Mama’s Room”), Hall & Oates and George Michael (listen to “In the Clouds”), The Beatles (listen to “Stay Illogical”), Earth, Wind & Fire (listen to “Against All Odds”), and Madonna (listen to “Meaningless Love”) as central to their retro sound.
But though the sound may transport you to another time and the influences may take you back to the heyday of pop music, this is not an album that feels dated or recycled. Everything about this feels fresh. Perhaps this is simply because, unlike many of the pop songs blasted on the radio, the Giants’ music doesn’t feel like an aural assault. The groove works from the inside out, insinuating itself into your bones and cells. And “groove” is certainly an adjective that applies to every musical moment on the record.
Where Scissor Sisters give us the groovy grit of midnight orgiastic fun, the Giants’ album feels like the reason you went out at night in the first place. This album gives Tony Manero hopefuls everywhere a chance to dig out those white polyester suits and strike a pose on the dancefloor. The Giants have the ability to perfectly express those emotions that drive us to escape and then to provide us the perfect soundtrack to dance it all away. Relentlessly, the groove hits your ear drum and wills you to dance along with it.
Whether it is the upbeat opening trio of “Ah-ha,” “Got Nothing,” and “In the Clouds” or the sweet, mellow sounds of “I Love You” and “Lay Me Down,” the Giants deliver a strong record full of moments that will make you feel good and help to relieve those winter blues.
For more information on Under the Influence of Giants, visit the official website and MySpace page. “Under the Influence of Giants” was released in 2006 on Island Records.
By Kimberly Egolf
2007.1
Struggling through the deep winter months? Tired of dealing with snow, rain, and cold? Try going Under the Influence… of Giants, that is. The self-titled debut album from this Southern California band will pick up your spirits and remind you of the warm summer months. At the very least, it’ll get you to dance and generate enough heat to forget the cold for a few minutes!
In 2004, Scissor Sisters began paving the international way for a pop revival of glorious 70s-influenced dance culture. And Under the Influence of Giants’ mission, according to singer Aaron Bruno, is to follow in this path: “We want to make pop cool again,” he declares. And this album will certainly help them reach that goal.
Featuring 11 groove-based tracks, the self-titled album draws together four young musicians (previously involved in other major-label bands) who aren’t afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves. The disco-era influences are the most immediately apparent on the album. Aaron Bruno’s falsetto vocal accompanied by Jamin Wilcox’s beats, Drew Stewart’s guitars, and David Amezcua’s basslines will instantly transport you into the world of “Saturday Night Fever” – whether you actually lived it the first time around or whether you’ve fallen in love with it later in your life. But the band also cites pop influences as varied as the Talking Heads (listen to “Ah-ha”), Michael Jackson and Prince (listen to “Mama’s Room”), Hall & Oates and George Michael (listen to “In the Clouds”), The Beatles (listen to “Stay Illogical”), Earth, Wind & Fire (listen to “Against All Odds”), and Madonna (listen to “Meaningless Love”) as central to their retro sound.
But though the sound may transport you to another time and the influences may take you back to the heyday of pop music, this is not an album that feels dated or recycled. Everything about this feels fresh. Perhaps this is simply because, unlike many of the pop songs blasted on the radio, the Giants’ music doesn’t feel like an aural assault. The groove works from the inside out, insinuating itself into your bones and cells. And “groove” is certainly an adjective that applies to every musical moment on the record.
Where Scissor Sisters give us the groovy grit of midnight orgiastic fun, the Giants’ album feels like the reason you went out at night in the first place. This album gives Tony Manero hopefuls everywhere a chance to dig out those white polyester suits and strike a pose on the dancefloor. The Giants have the ability to perfectly express those emotions that drive us to escape and then to provide us the perfect soundtrack to dance it all away. Relentlessly, the groove hits your ear drum and wills you to dance along with it.
Whether it is the upbeat opening trio of “Ah-ha,” “Got Nothing,” and “In the Clouds” or the sweet, mellow sounds of “I Love You” and “Lay Me Down,” the Giants deliver a strong record full of moments that will make you feel good and help to relieve those winter blues.
For more information on Under the Influence of Giants, visit the official website and MySpace page. “Under the Influence of Giants” was released in 2006 on Island Records.
