by Leah Tevis
mp3: Happy Birthday – Girls FM
mp3: Happy Birthday – Subliminal Message
A band signed slightly over a year after forming, no recorded songs under their belt. Just a conglomeration of folks that have been constructing their mark on the music scene was enough for Sub Pop. Consisting of founding members Kyle Thomas, aka King Tuff (vocals, guitar), Chris Weisman (guitar, bass, vocals) and Ruth Garbus (drums, vocals), Happy Birthday hails from Vermont, blasting us with confectious and charming 60s’/70s’ pop-rock.
Within the first ten seconds you know that “Girls FM” is going to be in heavy rotation on indie stations. The track pairs weightless guitar riffs, with powerful, bottomless bass lines and drizzle on syrupy lyrics that could pass for an intro to a children’s television show. “Subliminal Message” spoons up an ultimate ’8os jam; “Strawberry Shake” saturates any psychedelic/pop/rock deficiency you may have. Only “Zit”, filled with heavy distortion, loud drums, a splash of angst and a snarled lip veers away from the rest of the album’s cutesy ways.
Bringing to mind a modern day Rentals with a drug-induced twist, Happy Birthday jumps back and forth between male / female harmonizing vocals with sweet as bubble gum lyrics. The grooves pogo from decade to decade, feeling its way through the ’60s, (bringing fuzz and distortion), to the psychedelic grooves of the ’70s, to the dance beats of the ’80s. Each track features a chorus that easily ensnares itself into your head. Dreamy vocals and an overall summer -y sensation arrives just in time to jump in the car and cruise with the windows down and the tunes cranked loud. Happy Birthday fills a simple need: the need to listen to fun music.
Happy Birthday Tour Dates:
Mar 18 Galaxy Room (Austin), Austin, TX
Mar 22 Mink, Houston, TX
Mar 23 Circle Bar, New Orleans, LA
Mar 24 Red Star Bar @ The Lyric, Oxford, MS
Mar 25 529, Atlanta, GA
Mar 26 Duke Coffeehouse, Durham, NC
Mar 27 Ottobar, Baltimore, MD
