"Intense and relentless indie power-pop, and, despite a healthy dose of
musical bravado, never overstated. Generally, the pace is fast and
furious and a whole lot of fun. A combination of funk and upbeat
honky-tonk with a punk demeanor added for good measure. Electric, energetic and almost
frenzied at times without any sense of self-indulgence, it's impossible
not to become addicted to this [band]."
~ Jivewired.com
![]()
Release Date: 21-May-2013
Genre: Garage / Funk / Psychedelic
Location: Portland, OR
Publisher: [p][c] 2013 Mama's Basement [BMI]
Label/Distribution: Unsigned/In Music We Trust
Total Time: 36m 30s
Review Date: 23-April-2013
Review Format: CD
Bit Rate: 320 kbps
For Fans Of: The Minutemen, Violent Femmes, The Police, The Jam, Paul Weller
Songs In Jivewired Radio Rotation:Hey Hey Hey, Let Me Get Down
Best Songs:Without You, Slack Mountain, Let Me Get Down, Trace Kincaid, A Little Hell
Best of the Rest:Hey Hey Hey, Dog On It's Reign, Toothpaste
Previous Jivewired Review: None
Jivewired Digital One Sheet:http://jivewired.com/thequickandeasyboys
![]()
Purchase:Band Website | iTunes | Amazon
Stream:Bandcamp | Jivewired
++ This album releases May 21, 2013 so keep an eye on the Quick & Easy Boys' website for single track leaks and further release information. ++
Track Listing:
01. Hey Hey Hey 4:28
02. Without You 3:38
03. Dog On Its Reign 3:34
04. Learn To Love The Sunrise 3:02
05. Trace Kincaid 3:01
06. Make It Easy 3:20
07. Let Me Get Down 3:06
08. Toothpaste 3:49
09. Slack Mountain 4:33
10. A Little Hell 3:59
Review:
I'm tempted to move the song A Little Hell from the 'Best Of The Rest' category to the 'Best Songs' category. Nevermind, I just did that. I just love the totally unexpected Elvis Costello & The Attractions vibe. That being said and now that I've put that out there, the rest of Make It Easy sounds nothing like that song. But it's all good. Yeah Bud.
Very few bands represent themselves as well in the studio as they do during a live performance. This is where the Quick & Easy Boys reveal themselves as true aces. The 'Boys are legit and this is a legit record, a fiery mash up of garage pop, psychedelic rock and funky R&B that literally crashes into one beautiful mix that is gaper-block worthy - stop whatever it is that you are doing and just listen.
The fact that it's somewhat hard to categorize this band doesn't minimize the wonderfulness that is their sound. It's all theirs. Whether it's the accent of tribal beats, sixties hardcore pop or mesmerizing psychedelia, the Quick & Easy Boys support fiercely literate lyrics with richly diverse music, borrowing from a myriad of pop and post-punk sensibilities and musical hybrids that creates a wonderful, genre-hopping uniqueness.
What this album is not is a messy melange that fails to find it's niche. There is a cohesiveness in that musical diversity that defines a band that is maturing as songwriters and musicians, and one intent on creating it's own sound. We saw it with the hit songs Take Your Medicine and 7 Ways off of 2010's Red Light Rabbit and we are seeing it more so with this entire album.
"We really took our time recording and then assessing what we should put on the album as a coherent sounding mix of songs," recalls guitarist/vocalist Jimmy Russell. "We did not rush the [recording] process at all. We ended up cutting some songs and then adding some others. We feel very happy with the choices we made in regards to the final track selection. Also by working with Bill Barnett (engineer) we feel the entire production quality increased exponentially. The album pops harder than our first two efforts."
Clearly there is more of a garage-pop and psychedelic element on Make It Easy, but the cool funk and R&B element that defined their first two pressings remains. That funky side represents the band's signature sound and is ever-present throughout this recording. I sense a hint of 1960s revivalist mod-rock in the albums pop aesthetics as well, the kind of loud and proud emotive that is the perfect touch. There is a slightly heightened accessibility to this music in comparison with previous releases as well, which is the direct result of tighter and more focused arrangements. That the Quick & Easy Boys divide and conquer the stagnation of otherwise generalized genre hybrids at amazing speeds makes this album even more of a winner.
Clever lyrical flourishes should not be dismissed either. As songwriters, the band has built on the more amazing tracks from their previous release, Red Light Rabbit, with a collective hyperactivity that simmers in the importunity and the indigenous abandonment of punk. Trace Kincaid and Slack Mountain are perfect examples and stand out as such, both being brilliant consolidations of punk, folk and funk. Let Me Get Down forays deeply into elements of jam-based rock but without becoming too 'hippied-out' as it were. The percussion is amazing on this track and though it is incredibly repetitive lyrically, it basically boogies hard enough to render that repetition nearly unnoticeable. The title track adds elements of southern rock, particularly in the guitar solos. Without You is just incredible in it's upper register passion and verve.
I will say I didn't like Toothpaste on first listen, but it has grown on me incredibly quickly since. It's a great break from the upwardly mobile feel of most of the other songs, but it wasn't until I started to break down all of the elements of the composition that I started to uncover just what a hidden gem this song really is. Yes, the deeper tracks are usually left to the delights of the audiophiles and critics and Toothpaste is no exception.
The band saves the best for last, in my personal opinion. I simply love A Little Hell. What a great and unexpected closing track.
On Make It Easy, The Quick & Easy Boys manage to keep things engaging and compelling without overindulgence. I love the adventurous melodic sense on this release, and the fact that they craft striking confidence, intelligence and musical conviction into a sound that is truly inimitable. Simply put, this is a fine album that represents itself as a current high point in a career that is and has been escalating since the band's debut. The band, consisting of Russell, vocalist/bassist Sean Badders and drummer/vocalist Michael Goetz coheres into a wonderful combination of guitar bending, musically enticing fun. Each is as talented as the next, and as a whole The Quick & Easy Boys manage to forge a sound that is diverse, unique and deliciously good.
About The Quick & Easy Boys:
The Quick & Easy Boys, a power-trio out of Portland, Oregon, create their own unique blend of high energy rock and roll. Imagine the Minutemen, the Police, and Funkadelic (or any three good bands) rolled into one.
Formed in 2005, The Quick & Easy Boys quickly made a name for themselves in Eugene, Oregon before heading north and building a Portland, OR fanbase. Their shows are an interactive party with electrifying stage antics and profound musical moments as the trio pours out every ounce of their energy, leaving nothing behind. The band has gained the reputation for moving a crowd all-night long whether it be a big festival or a tiny watering hole. The core members - - Jimmy Russell on guitar, Sean Badders on bass, and Michael Goetz on drums - - have continued to evolve musically…and audiences continue their enthusiastic calling of “Yeah Bud!” at every show.
In 2008, they released Bad Decisions With Good People which left people raving about their unique and vibrant sound, and in September of 2009, they sojourned out on their first United States tour. Two more national tours followed the release of their 2nd album Red Light Rabbit in 2010. They’ve opened both locally and nationally for Deer Tick, The Thermals, Blitzen Trapper, The Meat Puppets, The Pimps of Joytime, Southern Culture on the Skids, The Bridge, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Bob Wayne & the Outlaw Carnies, Vince Herman.
The Quick & Easy Boys’ high-energy thought-provoking original music provides a bounce to the step that only dancing can cure. So if you're tired of the same old sounds and looking for the next up-and-coming thing, The Quick & Easy Boys' newest release, Red Light Rabbit, is sure to give you a run for your money.
YEAH BUD!!!
___________________________
“Maybe Bootsy Collins wasn't listening to Farmer John when he said the Funkadelic bassman could sleep in his barn, because it appears Bootsy did have relations with John's daughter, and out popped Portland's The Quick & Easy Boys. Honky-tonk ain’t never been this funky, and funk ain’t never been this close to a cornfield. Riff-heavy and driven by a stoned-out beat wrested from the Mothership, The Quick & Easy Boys’ sound is a one-of-a-kind cerebral treat. Maybe this is what it sounds like when Willie Nelson puffs extra purple herb.”
- - WILLAMETTE WEEK
Previous Discography:
![]( "Red Light Rabbit (2010)")
![]( "Bad Decisions With Good People (2008)")
![]()
~ Jivewired.com
Release Date: 21-May-2013
Genre: Garage / Funk / Psychedelic
Location: Portland, OR
Publisher: [p][c] 2013 Mama's Basement [BMI]
Label/Distribution: Unsigned/In Music We Trust
Total Time: 36m 30s
Review Date: 23-April-2013
Review Format: CD
Bit Rate: 320 kbps
For Fans Of: The Minutemen, Violent Femmes, The Police, The Jam, Paul Weller
Songs In Jivewired Radio Rotation:Hey Hey Hey, Let Me Get Down
Best Songs:Without You, Slack Mountain, Let Me Get Down, Trace Kincaid, A Little Hell
Best of the Rest:Hey Hey Hey, Dog On It's Reign, Toothpaste
Previous Jivewired Review: None
Jivewired Digital One Sheet:http://jivewired.com/thequickandeasyboys
Purchase:Band Website | iTunes | Amazon
Stream:Bandcamp | Jivewired
++ This album releases May 21, 2013 so keep an eye on the Quick & Easy Boys' website for single track leaks and further release information. ++
Track Listing:
01. Hey Hey Hey 4:28
02. Without You 3:38
03. Dog On Its Reign 3:34
04. Learn To Love The Sunrise 3:02
05. Trace Kincaid 3:01
06. Make It Easy 3:20
07. Let Me Get Down 3:06
08. Toothpaste 3:49
09. Slack Mountain 4:33
10. A Little Hell 3:59
Review:
I'm tempted to move the song A Little Hell from the 'Best Of The Rest' category to the 'Best Songs' category. Nevermind, I just did that. I just love the totally unexpected Elvis Costello & The Attractions vibe. That being said and now that I've put that out there, the rest of Make It Easy sounds nothing like that song. But it's all good. Yeah Bud.
Very few bands represent themselves as well in the studio as they do during a live performance. This is where the Quick & Easy Boys reveal themselves as true aces. The 'Boys are legit and this is a legit record, a fiery mash up of garage pop, psychedelic rock and funky R&B that literally crashes into one beautiful mix that is gaper-block worthy - stop whatever it is that you are doing and just listen.
The fact that it's somewhat hard to categorize this band doesn't minimize the wonderfulness that is their sound. It's all theirs. Whether it's the accent of tribal beats, sixties hardcore pop or mesmerizing psychedelia, the Quick & Easy Boys support fiercely literate lyrics with richly diverse music, borrowing from a myriad of pop and post-punk sensibilities and musical hybrids that creates a wonderful, genre-hopping uniqueness.
What this album is not is a messy melange that fails to find it's niche. There is a cohesiveness in that musical diversity that defines a band that is maturing as songwriters and musicians, and one intent on creating it's own sound. We saw it with the hit songs Take Your Medicine and 7 Ways off of 2010's Red Light Rabbit and we are seeing it more so with this entire album.
"We really took our time recording and then assessing what we should put on the album as a coherent sounding mix of songs," recalls guitarist/vocalist Jimmy Russell. "We did not rush the [recording] process at all. We ended up cutting some songs and then adding some others. We feel very happy with the choices we made in regards to the final track selection. Also by working with Bill Barnett (engineer) we feel the entire production quality increased exponentially. The album pops harder than our first two efforts."
Clearly there is more of a garage-pop and psychedelic element on Make It Easy, but the cool funk and R&B element that defined their first two pressings remains. That funky side represents the band's signature sound and is ever-present throughout this recording. I sense a hint of 1960s revivalist mod-rock in the albums pop aesthetics as well, the kind of loud and proud emotive that is the perfect touch. There is a slightly heightened accessibility to this music in comparison with previous releases as well, which is the direct result of tighter and more focused arrangements. That the Quick & Easy Boys divide and conquer the stagnation of otherwise generalized genre hybrids at amazing speeds makes this album even more of a winner.
Clever lyrical flourishes should not be dismissed either. As songwriters, the band has built on the more amazing tracks from their previous release, Red Light Rabbit, with a collective hyperactivity that simmers in the importunity and the indigenous abandonment of punk. Trace Kincaid and Slack Mountain are perfect examples and stand out as such, both being brilliant consolidations of punk, folk and funk. Let Me Get Down forays deeply into elements of jam-based rock but without becoming too 'hippied-out' as it were. The percussion is amazing on this track and though it is incredibly repetitive lyrically, it basically boogies hard enough to render that repetition nearly unnoticeable. The title track adds elements of southern rock, particularly in the guitar solos. Without You is just incredible in it's upper register passion and verve.
I will say I didn't like Toothpaste on first listen, but it has grown on me incredibly quickly since. It's a great break from the upwardly mobile feel of most of the other songs, but it wasn't until I started to break down all of the elements of the composition that I started to uncover just what a hidden gem this song really is. Yes, the deeper tracks are usually left to the delights of the audiophiles and critics and Toothpaste is no exception.
The band saves the best for last, in my personal opinion. I simply love A Little Hell. What a great and unexpected closing track.
On Make It Easy, The Quick & Easy Boys manage to keep things engaging and compelling without overindulgence. I love the adventurous melodic sense on this release, and the fact that they craft striking confidence, intelligence and musical conviction into a sound that is truly inimitable. Simply put, this is a fine album that represents itself as a current high point in a career that is and has been escalating since the band's debut. The band, consisting of Russell, vocalist/bassist Sean Badders and drummer/vocalist Michael Goetz coheres into a wonderful combination of guitar bending, musically enticing fun. Each is as talented as the next, and as a whole The Quick & Easy Boys manage to forge a sound that is diverse, unique and deliciously good.
About The Quick & Easy Boys:
The Quick & Easy Boys, a power-trio out of Portland, Oregon, create their own unique blend of high energy rock and roll. Imagine the Minutemen, the Police, and Funkadelic (or any three good bands) rolled into one.
Formed in 2005, The Quick & Easy Boys quickly made a name for themselves in Eugene, Oregon before heading north and building a Portland, OR fanbase. Their shows are an interactive party with electrifying stage antics and profound musical moments as the trio pours out every ounce of their energy, leaving nothing behind. The band has gained the reputation for moving a crowd all-night long whether it be a big festival or a tiny watering hole. The core members - - Jimmy Russell on guitar, Sean Badders on bass, and Michael Goetz on drums - - have continued to evolve musically…and audiences continue their enthusiastic calling of “Yeah Bud!” at every show.
In 2008, they released Bad Decisions With Good People which left people raving about their unique and vibrant sound, and in September of 2009, they sojourned out on their first United States tour. Two more national tours followed the release of their 2nd album Red Light Rabbit in 2010. They’ve opened both locally and nationally for Deer Tick, The Thermals, Blitzen Trapper, The Meat Puppets, The Pimps of Joytime, Southern Culture on the Skids, The Bridge, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Bob Wayne & the Outlaw Carnies, Vince Herman.
The Quick & Easy Boys’ high-energy thought-provoking original music provides a bounce to the step that only dancing can cure. So if you're tired of the same old sounds and looking for the next up-and-coming thing, The Quick & Easy Boys' newest release, Red Light Rabbit, is sure to give you a run for your money.
YEAH BUD!!!
___________________________
“Maybe Bootsy Collins wasn't listening to Farmer John when he said the Funkadelic bassman could sleep in his barn, because it appears Bootsy did have relations with John's daughter, and out popped Portland's The Quick & Easy Boys. Honky-tonk ain’t never been this funky, and funk ain’t never been this close to a cornfield. Riff-heavy and driven by a stoned-out beat wrested from the Mothership, The Quick & Easy Boys’ sound is a one-of-a-kind cerebral treat. Maybe this is what it sounds like when Willie Nelson puffs extra purple herb.”
- - WILLAMETTE WEEK
Previous Discography:
