The Takeover UK
Running with the Wasters
Ryko
by Al Kaufman
The Takeover UK are one of those garage bands with punk attitudes, but enough music sensibility to fill their songs with monster hooks. They're like some of the great British bands that came out in the '70s second wave of the British Invasion. You know, bands like The Clash. And it would make sense since the band is from . . . Pittsburgh. Yup, it seems that when they were ready to sign, they found out another band already had the name the Takeover. So, in true punk fashion, as well as a way to pay homage to many of their three-chord heroes, they slapped a "UK" on the end. Might it also be a clever marketing ploy? Maybe, but who cares? The Takeover UK deliver the goods.
On this, their debut full-length, The Takeover UK retain some of their early punk upbringing, but do not shy away from their love of all things pop. The CD is bookended by "The Lonely Ones" and "Don't Wait Up," two songs that sound a little too much like the grandfathers of modern garage bands, The Strokes. But these would be great Strokes songs. In between are many three-chord stunners, plus a few surprises. "Denise" plays as a Herman's Hermits meets Violent Femmes love song, while "Birthday Boy" is simply unabashed and unbridled pure pop. "Evelyn" even offers up some Beach Boys-like harmonies. But the real stunner is "Sleep It All Away," a stunning ballad steeped in strings and horns, in which singer Nic Snyder comes across as a lovesick drunkard.
The knock on garage rockers these days is that their sound is too manufactured. People claim bands like The Strokes and Rancid just don't have the punk attitude that bands like The Clash and The Sex Pistols had. Is this true for Takeover UK? To some extent. You'd probably let your sister date one of them before you let her date Sid Vicious, but who the fuck cares? Just listen to their music and try not to feel something. You may not want to overthrow the government, but you'll feel good about music again.
Takeover UK play the Drunken Unicorn with Thieves and Villains, Red Car Wire, Crash Moderns, and Go Radio on Sunday, February 22. 7 p.m. $8/$10 door. Buy tickets here.
