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Red Ink/Columbia Records
Released: February 21, 2006 |
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The Lashes
Of the many archetypes available to young musicians on their way up, from manufactured idols to dinosaur supergroups and everything in-between, one model remains by far the most romantic, the most inspirational, the most rock: the gang. Your typical new band consists of itinerant strangers coming together to, you know, play music or whatever. They're often too cool for interpersonal connection, and consequently, too easily scattered by the adversity that goes hand-in-hand with building a life in music.
But then there's that rare breed--and you know them the first time you lay eyes on them, whether it's on stage or walking down the street--founded on brotherhood, its members inseparable from one another both in and out of the practice space, a band whose collective identity is greater than the sum of its individual personalities, a band whose music reflects a great collaboration, not only of musicians, but of best friends looking to make life a little more interesting and fun for one another.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet The Lashes. You're going to love them.
Singer Ben, a born rock frontman who's as sweet as he is cocky, as smart as he is swaggering (Best. Interview. Ever.), has always been at the heart of the band. He founded The Lashes in February of 2000, shortly after moving to Seattle from the backwoods of Spokane, Washington. It took him a few years, however, to assemble the ideal line-up. To do so, he turned to friends from back home (Scotty and Nate) as well as the friends he was making in his new hometown (Eric, Jacob, and Mike). All these guys had grown up in small towns, from Wasilla, Alaska to Fremont, Nebraska, where being heavily into rock 'n' roll instantly made you a freak. Nonetheless, they all grew up fronting bands, collecting records, and living, breathing, talking, and playing music. The Lashes quickly became the repository of six lifetimes worth of rock dreams. But these things take time….
Following their obscenely catchy debut EP on Lookout! Records (The Stupid Stupid), the band's momentum has been unstoppable; sold-out headlining shows and support slots with national acts as varied as The Libertines and tour mates Ted Leo and the Pharmacists only give a small indication of how well things have been going for the boys. Late in 2004, The Lashes entered the studio with legendary NW producer John Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Blonde Redhead) and emerged with Get It, a record that surpassed even their own wildest expectations for a debut. Beyond the triple entendre of the title, and the swooning invitation of catchy debut single "Sometimes The Sun," Get It offers listeners an explosion of shrewdly crafted pop rock for the ages, proving that The Lashes are as welcome on an iPod playlist with Weezer or The Killers as they are in an all-night conversation about The Only Ones or Badfinger.
No matter what ephemeral trend might be capturing the attention of the nation's glossy tastemakers, no matter what cutesy modifier critics insist on dangling in front of it, rock music--with a couple of loud guitars, a gang of saucy young dudes, and a singer singing songs about good times, broken hearts, and girlfriends past, present, and future--springs eternal. That's the ethos embodied by The Lashes. In a time of war, dour art, anxiety, and confusion, they're having a big rock party, and they'd be delighted if you decided to crash.
Get it? Good.
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