First You Get the Sugar. No I do not mean kisses and lovin’ in its direct form; but rather a Montreal-based band—whose debut self- titled album was released this May. It is available on iTunes—and listening to it sure is a musical treat. Instant gratification in the best way. San Francisco’s own Alex Silver, who attended high school in Marin and graduated from McGill University in Montreal, plays guitar on the eight track album. The band is already getting great coverage on Montreal radio stations, in reviews of their album, and of their rollicking CD launch show.
The band honed their stage presence and craft leading up to this CD release through all night shows in Montreal, and even the occasional “Cover 2 Cover” shows; jamming through full albums of some of their favorite bands such as the Strokes. Silver (guitar and vocals) has loved the Beatles since he was a child, and their influence is felt in the instant appeal of First You Get the Sugar’s sound, but also the classic formulas of pop music found in their choruses and music. He explains that their all-night shows really let them learn “-how to function with each other as musicians and how we all function together with the crowd. So many of our musical idols–the Beatles, to pick an obvious example–cut their teeth doing these kinds of until-3 or 4 am rave-ups. So we did that, and we also worked hard at getting something really well-crafted and polished musically for our album.” Band-mates Adam Kagan (vocals and guitar), Mick Mendelsohn (vocals, bass) and Daniel Moscovitch (drums) are all native Canucks, hailing from Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal respectively. Their debut album was mixed by Glen Robinson (The Ramones, The Tea Party, Keith Richards) and mastered by Andy Van Dette (David Bowie, Aretha Franklin, Beastie Boys).
Their music is poppy enough to get your feet stompin, but enough rock and lyrical emphasis to leave you asking for more. This is not the work of a group of college graduates wanting a fun side project—in fact, most of the band members have played in various bands for years prior to this album release. This is a smart, incredibly catchy, and stunning first effort. Silver explains that growing up in the Bay Area shaped his outlook on creating the music he plays today: “There’s such a great open-mindedness there, and such a great history of music and culture. There’s no way that me growing up steeped in that didn’t influence who I am. Growing up there, you feel like you’re part of the whole extended world and not just the little town you call home. Even the geography–you drive 10 minutes to the top of a hill and you see the whole Bay Area and the Pacific Ocean stretching out in front of you. I remember as a kid looking out over that ocean, pretending that I could see Japan, and just being fascinated by the idea that there was this giant, world-spanning ocean that began at my feet and stretched over the horizon. It’s an absolutely fantastic place to spend your childhood, and I think my musical and cultural sensibilities are totally influenced by that sense of connectedness and possibility.”
To get your disco on, and a get a feel for the range of what this four-piece is capable of, check out “Disco Volante”, with lines like “You’ve been counting on the world to save you, and now you’re raising your glass to the good news”. Some songs are as smooth as this track, while others like “Scavengers” take a darker, bass-driven angle. We look forward to more sugar soon. Please and thank you.
For lossless formats, a pdf of the full album artwork and bonus jpgs, visit: http://music.firstyougetthesugar.com/
