Oh dear…it seems I’m showing my age when I say this, but I remember when Steriogram first hit the scene eleven years ago now. They were young, silly and full of hits that you could barely sing along to due to the energetic longhaired hooligan, Tyson Kennedy. In 2004, their debut album found the shelves with an outstanding response, allowing the band to release a grand total of six tracks to our radio airwaves, along with an array of colorful videos, which are still getting a hammering today.
Next came This Is Not The Target Market, followed by the formation of front man, Brad Carter’s band, Pistol Youth, and then Kennedy’s move to New York. To the naked eye things appeared to die down for a while on the Steriogram front, but all is good and well with the creation of their latest album to be released in New Zealand – Taping The Radio.
For those of you addicted toSchmack!, you’ll be pleased to learn that there’s approximately four ounces on the album just waiting for you to inject directly into your bloodstream. With tracks like Shamoe, Skinny Runt Revolution, Texas Beauties and the ever popular single, White Trash, your fix will most likely be filled to give way to an evolved sound that the band have produced on the eleven track disc.
Third tune, Taping The Radioeases you into the new sound, followed by Ready For Action, which has a tinge of Pistol Youth to it. They’re both slower than the ‘typical gram’ and may confuse some first-time listeners who are used the lads’ singles. Indie hip-hop artist, Random Impulse makes an appearance in Kevvo, which made me feel a tiny bit uncomfortable at first listen, but his part is only a short-sharp prick, and it’s now become one of my favorite bits on the disc.
No Ordinary Man and Moving On are ridiculously easy to get into and I have no doubt that you’ll be singing along come the end these two. Even if you are just ‘woah-yeahing’, you’ll be feeling a little more in tune with their sound that seems to have taken quite some influence from Carter’s LA-based project.
I’m not such a fan of drinking whiskey, and it seems I’m the same when it comes to listening to the song. Possibly due to the fact that it brings back so many bad memories of late nights in dingy pubs with alcohol-soaked floors, mixed with the strong scent of cigarettes and BO coming from ‘yucky old men’. In saying all that, this is a fun tune and I can imagine it being quite the hit with the kids. Two Day Hangover conveniently finishes the album – a hard and fast one showing of Kennedy’s much-loved energy that I’ve come to miss. Taping The Radio is good, but I think I need a hit of Schmack! to finish me off.
Words by Amanda Ratcliffe
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About the author amandashootsbands
Amanda Ratcliffe, or amandashootsbands is a New Zealand born artist currently practicing music documentary photography. With fifteen years experience in the music industry, she has refined her skills to focus on performers backstage and behind the scenes. Amanda’s calm and gentle approach has seen her gain access to a number of well-respected artists and recording studios over the years, including Neil Finn’s iconic Roundhead Studios. She is a regular face at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards and SongHubs sessions, and has also worked on Big Day Out, Laneway and Newtown festivals in New Zealand. Amanda believes in working with artists who are equally as passionate about creating classic and timeless images to outlast our ever-changing digital world. Interested in working together? Head to www.amandashootsbands.com for contact details.
