The Great Shakes - In The Ballroom

Ladies and Gentlemen: I present to you, The Great Shakes! Deep from the belly of inspiration derived from bands like the Clash and mixed-up with edgy and angry yet appealing guitar notes slung about, the Great Shakes give you something tasty and cool to suck down. Hailing from the greatest city in the world, the band surely knows how to liven things up—New York style. Take, for instance, the singer’s swaggering vocals; fused with those wonderful trashy-but-classy vibes, and you’ve got a bold statement, a seething creation that only the Big Apple could birth. The devilish lads will be in the studio with Joe Blaney working on In the Ballroom, their upcoming full-length due in early January 2005 off Rich & Sexy, Inc. They’ll also be re-recording the three tracks that come on this EP. Ballroom embodies the movement, the sound of the new art-punk generation. It tears free from the scene (because scenes are so high school) and focuses on generating a good, sound performance with a great heaping amount of energy. The disc starts with the title track, and immediately the feet move, the body sways, arms flay, and the lyrics become you. Silence lends a backdrop for vocals that design playgrounds for the imagination, and you are taken to that ballroom where the vocalist and you meet to watch the others play. “Riot” steps in, somewhat taking rank over the first, with vocal harmonies, nonchalant rhythm, and though the lyrics could afford to be beefed-up with stronger rhymes, there is an undoubtedly memorable chorus with all the elements working together: “Let’s start a riot/Let’s start a war/So we can even the score/So we can get some more.” Could the motive be political-charged? “Residence” equals amazing and closes the three-song EP. The opening drumbeat and geared-up screams poured over glam-rock guitar riffs couldn’t keep your feet in more motion. Just in case you’re wondering, yes, I did dance a very good bit around my living room. This music is to be taken in pleasure. The line-up has changed slightly, but one thing has not. The Great Shakes said it best: “We do not have a past, we only have a presence.” From the looks of it, they have a future, too. [www.thegreatshakes.com]