Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
It was early in the night when The Russians rolled into Precinct as part of the International Pop Overthrow. The crowd surrendered unconditionally.
The Russians
EP.02
2007
The Russians are the brainchild of Scott Janovitz. On this 2007 EP, Scott and his comrades-in-rock created 17 minutes of musical escapism.
The songs here are exceptional. Scott’s songwriting has always been a cut above. These songs ranked among his finest work at the time. “Your Only One” is an instant attention grabber with its piano and vocal intro. “Taking Noise Away” has a beautifully evolving chorus. “Talking To Yourself” has a gentle verse and a power pop chorus.
Pianos, guitars, accordions, handclaps and “aaahs” weave an intricate musical tapestry. It’s a complex mix and The Russians make it sound easy. The vocal layers call Brian Wilson’s production to mind. The seamless song transitions wouldn’t be out of place on Wish You Were Here. The guitar leads in “Your Only One” sound like they came straight off of Revolver, the bassline of “Crashing The Party” from Abbey Road. The Russians look to the past to create their modern rock sounds.
Half of this four song EP would end up on 2010’s stellar Crashing The Party. The other two songs, as well as the thoughtful sequencing, make EP.02 worth checking out.
Where to get it:
I said most of what I needed to say about The Russians in my recent love letter to the band. Friday night the band rocked a little and rolled a lot. Man, do I love these guys…
The Russians
Crashing The Party
2010
The sky is bluer than you know.
I want you to love this record as much as I do. I want you to get all caught up in the weight and introspection. I want you to be washed away by the harmonies and the layers of guitars. I want you to hear a songwriter at the top of his game. I want you to understand what a great opening track “The Record’s Over” is. I want “Not So Loud” to end up on all of your mix tapes. I want you to groove to “Sober and Un-Upsetting” and “Make It Easy”. I want you to bask in the sunshine of “You Know”. I want “Talking To Yourself” and “Crashing The Party” to devastate you. I want “Lovesickholiday” to bring you home. I want you to listen to Crashing The Party. I want you to love The Russians.
I want you to be happy.
Where to get it:
After catching Sidewalk Driver opening for The B-52s* at the House Of Blues, I rushed over to the Kenmore Square T stop in an effort to get to The Middle East in time to catch The Russians. You’d be hard pressed to find a band in town with better songs than Scott Janovitz and his cohorts. It had been a long time since I’d had a chance to catch one of their sets. I needed a fix.
I walked into the Middle East Upstairs during the band’s second song. It was dark. Really dark. A couple of those fake candles they put on the tables in restaurants would have provided more light than the club’s red stage lights. It fit the music, I suppose. The songs came off a little darker and heavier tonight. “Not So Loud” packed a particular punch. The Russians covering Elliott’s Smith’s “Bottle Up And Explode” is certainly something I wouldn’t mind hearing more often. The band even debuted a new song, which is the best thing Scott Janovitz has ever written. At least I hope so. He threatened to break up the band if it wasn’t. So, it was. This world needs The Russians.
* Bikini Whale was better.
I think I just started a blog.
I mean, there are some pictures I took of The Russians, The Painted Lights and Sodafrog at Precinct back in January down there a little lower on the page. That was a good show. There are a lot of good shows here in Boston. I try to go to them when I can. I bring my camera with me and take pictures. I’ve been doing this for years. I’ve also been building websites for years. You’d think I would have done this sooner.
Time to get the goat by the horns and do something with all of these pictures I’ve got lying around. I’ll start by catching up on this year’s shows. Look for pictures of The Dirty Truckers, Watts, The Downbeat 5, Corin Ashley, Brendan Boogie and a bunch of other bands to start showing up here soon. I’ve got some videos to post, too. Look out Tom Baker!
Once I get caught up on 2011, I’ll start digging into the archives. I’m going to be busy…
How can a band that draws so heavily from the past sound so thoroughly modern? Scott Janovitz and his comrades in The Russians seem to have figured out how to do just that.
Damn, these guys are good…
