Up periscope, sailor! There’s some hot-rocking on the horizon. Submarine Races are a threesome of arty rocker-types from Chicago, Illinois. Started in vain by guitarist/vocalist/explorist Ian Adams (Happy Supply, The Ponys), drummer/seaman Paul John Higgins, and bassist/best mate Steve Denekas (Entertainment, The Countdown), the ‘Races are off to a clean start. Borrowing freely from the entire Easybeats catalogue, commandeering the Modern Lovers’ understated efficiency, and all but sleeping with the entirety of mid-to-late 1980’s twee British guitar-pop bands, Submarine races have managed to make a signature sound that is both derivative and authentic at once! What with the current state of rock music being all apish bravado and emotionally-impaired dildoery, Submarine Races manage to remind us why you put the Pastels on mix tapes in the first place.
They also happen to know what a good haircut can do for a young band’s confidence in “the game.” With a handful of jangled melodies, some polite lyrics, and an overabundance of charm, Submarine Races have set the coordinates for your stereo. Let’s just hope they don’t “deep-six” you after your hatch is cracked. Submarine Races debut album, The Submarine Races, was recorded in Chicago at El Goodo Audio and will be released on In The Red Records in June 2006. They even used the sonar recording technology found in the Soviet Alpha Class Diesel-Electric Attack Submarines! No joke. The band hope to sell an immeasurable amount of records, as long as piracy (both on the internet and at sea) is kept at bay. Nevertheless, Submarine Races’ popularity is surely surfacing - supporting top acts such as The Dirtbombs, Maximo Park, and the Sights in the first week of their existence. The ‘Races reputation for rocking and passionate live appearances has lead to consistent attendance at many of their subsequent headlining shows. While they aren’t “jamming,” members of Submarine Races enjoy making out, necking, hanging out at sailor bars, and watching Steve’s VHS copy of Das Boot.
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