With soaring vocals over a heavy rhythmic undertow, 'New Debut' kicks you in the head and the pants.

10 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Arena Rock, POP: Power Pop



Details:
On July 11, 2000, Frisbie released their debut album. The Subversive Sounds of Love was greeted with a chorus of critical acclaim. The Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot called it "the power pop album of the year," while notoriously prickly Chicago Sun-Times Critic Jim Derogatis said, "the songs are so strong. And Frisbie shows no signs of running short on inspiration." As Frisbie toured America from coast to coast, the national press responded. The Associated Press claimed, "It's almost impossible to catch everything The Subversive Sounds of Love has to offer... One of the strongest pop CD's of the year, if not the last several years." A 2,200 word feature ran for three days on Salon.com, boasting, "The Subversive Sounds of Love is lyrically and melodically innovative and a joy to listen to..." VH1.com said, "Subversive's tunes are well-written, take surprising twists, feel painstakingly crafted but loose and fun." Nashville's In Review exclaimed, "I don't think I've heard a better indie debut, ever." Frisbie ended their fall 2000 tour with a personal invitation to open two shows for Wilco. This was the latest in a long list of exciting shows for the band, including gigs with Cheap Trick, Matthew Sweet, Big Star, Guided By Voices, Old 97's, Marshall Crenshaw and Tahiti 80. "With band members Liam Davis, Steve Frisbie and Zack Kantor each writing songs, Frisbie indeed "showed no signs of running short on inspiration," as the Sun-Times had claimed. But Kantor's ongoing struggle with bipolar disorder deepened, and he stepped away from the band. His songwriting was elemental to Frisbie, and coming to terms with his loss took time. In 2003, the band released a live acoustic recording of Kantor's songs called period. Heard as one album, the songs reveal a unique syntax, and the repetition of their coarsely beautiful themes achieves a special resonance. With their expressive range and the empathy in their performances, Davis and Frisbie give voice to the soul in Kantor's songs, offering "that special joy you can get...when songs are rooted in something fragile, difficult, beautiful and real." (Fufkin.com) The loss of Kantor and other personal trials delayed a follow-up. But now, Frisbie has completed New Debut, a 40-minute burst of imaginative and affecting songs. While The Subversive Sounds of Love was rooted in the pop of the 60's, New Debut reveals a love for the guitar rock of the 70's. So much happens in these three-minute tunes as producer Matt Thompson breaks out the harmonic density of every song. Frisbie still boasts two of the finest singers anywhere, yet the emotions of their soaring vocals are more deeply revealed in the unexpected rhythms and timbres of the music. In short, New Debut will kick you in the head and the pants.