ivyTunes: Ivy Band That Doesn’t Suck No. 01
It's the first installment of ivyTunes, our new music column. Our critic has the mic:
There's nothing I like more than spending a sunny, unseasonably warm weekend in front of my laptop, headphones on, listening to MP3 after MP3 of incompetent rock, rap and [shudder] folk -- especially when those MP3s were created by coddled, over-credentialed Ivy Leaguers like myself. Except, perhaps, ripping off my arm and clubbing myself to death with it.
So a big shout-out to all the acts that participated in our first ivyTunes cattle call. The only thing worse than being Nickelback is paying $40,000 a year to pretend to be Nickelback -- and we here at IvyGate think that such a monumental achievement deserves a little recognition. Thankfully, you generous souls have provided me with enough material -- white rappers, a cappella side projects, cellos -- to last for weeks to come. I eagerly await the opportunity to crush your dreams.
But first, an admission: not all of you are completely untalented. A few of the MP3s I received were "not horrible." A few were "listenable." And one or two were actually "good." The best of the bunch: Filligar, (pronounced "fill-uh-gurr"), a Chicago-based quartet featuring brothers Pete, Teddy, and Johnny Mathias, and fourth-wheel Casey Gibson. Pete and Teddy go to Dartmouth. They're 19. Johnny, the singer, is only 17. Teenagers or not, Filligar is remarkably mature -- they've got that crucial blend of pop precision and effortless weirdness down pat. The new CD is called "Succession, I Guess." It's hardly dangerous stuff -- fellow yupsters (and Chicagoans) Wilco would be proud. But it's not like Ivy Leaguers are particularly strong in the sex and drugs departments anyway. One out of three ain't bad.
Two choice cuts:
RIGHT-CLICK TO DOWNLOAD -- HELP US CONSERVE BANDWIDTH:
Filligar - Apricot Jam [MP3]
Filligar - Venice World's Fair (c. 2138 AD) [MP3]
More: Official site | iTunes
Want your band to be considered for ivyTunes? Email tracks to ivygate@gmail.com.
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November 27th, 2006 at 5:37 pm
Thanks IvyGate!
November 27th, 2006 at 7:27 pm
anyone know anything more about this band Filligar? I really like their sound….
November 27th, 2006 at 10:09 pm
They have a MySpace, and they have albums for sale both on their site and on iTunes.
And yeah, they’re actually damn good– especially for a college band.
November 28th, 2006 at 3:19 am
yeah whats with that. they r purdy good. all the bands around here suckkkkk.
December 1st, 2006 at 6:30 pm
they have a facebook group. i just joined… apparently they’re doing a college tour soon.
December 1st, 2006 at 6:31 pm
they have a facebook group. i just joined… apparently they’re doing a college tour soon.
December 3rd, 2006 at 2:32 pm
I think the unspoken rule (in the Ivy League especially) is that you can be as condescending and sarcastic as you want, as long as your brilliance is as radiant as your capacity for scorn is…capacious. Guess what, music critic guy?
“Filligar is remarkably mature — they’ve got that crucial blend of pop precision and effortless weirdness down pat.”
With such inspired music criticism as this, even Anton Glamb deserves 12 out of 10 stars.
December 10th, 2006 at 1:26 am
I’ve probably listened to Venice World’s Fair about 10 times today; the lead singer’s voice is incredibly clear and the lyrics are entertaining but not to the point of pretension.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Yo I hear these guys are doing another CD this summer….sickies.
June 3rd, 2007 at 9:39 am
the singer is graduating from the high school i’m going to…and the others graduated in other years previous..
March 10th, 2008 at 10:37 am
hey. they’re playing in NYC march 20th. i caught them a few months ago when they were last here. very cool.
they’re playing Sullivan Hall.