Friday, April 15, 2011

Review: Madison Square Gardeners “Teeth of Champions” [EP]


Rock
Maybe they could be described as the Weezer of alt country? Brooklyn’s Madison Square Gardeners have a long pedigree as backing musicians for artists like Ben Kweller, The New York Dolls and Jill Sobule, to name a few. Drawing comparisons to Wilco, the band hopes to impress with their latest five song EP, “Teeth of Champions”.

This little EP packs quite a punch and leaves a good first impression. Mixing breezy laid back guitars with skull-blasting bursts of energy, Madison Square Gardeners are masters of balance. More good news – they are no strangers to writing good hooks and placing harmonies in the sweet spot. “Little Bit of Heart” is very Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – a slow burning mid-tempo rocker that builds up to an infectious chorus. “Record Store” is even better, boasting timely lyrics and a terrific sing-a-long chorus. I found the most accessible song to be the instantly catchy “Stand By You”, which features a wonderfully bright and upbeat chorus set to a propelling drumbeat. The EP leaves us with “Miracle Mile”, which starts off laid back then…wait for it…ends with a thundering coda that makes you want to go right back and replay the whole EP again.

The Madison Square Gardeners EP “Teeth of Champions” is available now – definitely worth sinking your teeth into.

Madison Square Gardeners on MySpace. Official site.

Listen to “Stand By You”

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