Tag Archive for tom petty

Rock ‘n’ roll and drag share a long history —during the age of glam metal things got pretty sexy between the two. Just ask New York Dolls. Then, with arrival of Marilyn Manson, the relationship just stopped being fun and started getting weird. So it’s nice to come across a band that’s not afraid to put on some wedding dresses and tear through the streets like a pack of hirsute brides, but who definitely aren’t looking for a long term relationship with their feminine side. In fact, if Readymade Breakup is bending anything, it’s genre, not gender.

If you only listened to “Back to the Bubble,” a gritty little scorcher that comes out like a kick to the teeth, you’d think Readymade Breakup was bluesy garage band accustomed to playing behind chicken wire.  Same thing with “Honey You Might Be Right.” But then you’d be neglecting to consider the excellent “One By One,” which bears a passing resemblance to Tom Petty’s “Running Down A Dream” in the beginning but then breaks into an epic power rock chorus that leaves “Running” choking on its dust. There’s also “Starting to End” with its salvo of wiry guitars —a soaring power pop gem that’ll make the bands on Fueled By Ramen jealous. So, yeah, it’s nearly impossible to stick a label on Readymade Breakup. Which is great, cause sometimes labels are (ahem) a drag.

Welcome to our sixth installment featuring CMJ’s OurStage Staff Picks from the CMJ Relay Blog. CMJ is well known for their industry leading New Music Report magazine, which contains music reviews, artist news and interviews with the best artists being played on college radio.

Jon Call

“My Ship”
Acoustic Channel
Take a little bit of blues, a little bit of folk, and a little bit of rock, throw in some melodic vocals and soft guitar, call it “My Ship.”
RIYL: Ben Harper, Plain White T’s, Tom Petty
WEB: http://www.myspace.com/joncallmusic

Matt Mays thinks about love, sure. Only sometimes the object of his affection is a boat. Or the trees that hang over the road while he’s driving. But just when you think he’s just not that into you, he redirects his focus, tells you your boyfriend is a dick and invites you to go listen to music in his car.

At least that’s how things go on his new record, Terminal Romance. Far from being a collection of songs about love-gone-wrong, the Halifax songwriter avoids the predictable and delivers a confident, diverse rock sampler. These days, Mays—formerly a member of the seminal alt-country group, The Guthries—can be found in the company of his backing band, El Torpedo. Together they churn out anything from staccato rockers with whiffs of The Ramones (“Rock Ranger Record”) to epic heartland rock tailor-made for afternoon drives (“Tall Trees”). Mays is always going to garner comparisons to Tom Petty and Ryan Adams, but he’s got his own ideas on how love and rock-n-roll should harmonize. And it’s a message worth hearing.