Take a gander at listening to Fitz & The Tantrums Songs For A Breakup Volume I Album and tell me they do not sound like a more upbeat great grandchild of The Righteous Brothers. They have that "blue-eyed soul" (thanks Wikipedia for the appropriate word) that is going around town. (See Mayer Hawthorne) This music is influenced by some back in the day music, I mean, all the way from your Grand-ma-mas day. The stuff that your grandparents used to get down to.
If it sounds like I'm poking fun, I'm not. You obviously don't get how excited I am for a solid musical movement to come along! This is a musical movement. Don't disregard all of this throwback bubbling up. What am I talking about? It never went away. It was just hiding in that vinyl collection your Mom kept telling you to look through. I bet you're kicking yourself now. Well, it's ok - enter Fitz & The Tantrums.
Now, don't get too wrapped up in the whole Righteous Bros. (also see The Box Tops "The Letter" on YouTube) connection like I did. What's most important is that while they have similar sounds, they have their own. They have a male as their lead vocal and have a dominant female accompanying vocal artist that makes them amazing in their own right. Their posted songs have many messages, but the most obvious surrounds love and the refusal of it's card carrying bullshit. "We Don't Need Love Songs" is the most appropriate for this. It sounds like the duet on YouTube between Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell from "Precious Love", but ironically different. I love how the trembling organ in the background and that streaky piercing guitar pluck blends in with the vocals of a man and woman. Back and forth! They don't need that love! They don't need it. And thank you for creating such an anti-love song. What's up with all the summer couples anyway? "Breakin The Chains Of Love" has a funkier and edgier sound. The drum hits sound like there's gonna be a small one man battle going on in the thematic background. There's also that anti-love theme again! Just can't get enough. Victory for the anti-head-gamers of the world!
If you can afford it, catch the rest of their West Coast Tour going on for the rest of September!
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