Charlottesville’s ‘The Falsies’ endearingly absurd

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With the release of their second EP, “We’re More Rock n Roll Than You!,” The Falsies can say that Charlottesville’s rock scene is thriving despite losing terrific venues in the past few months.

The ridiculous yet fun album shows this quartet’s deep understanding of pop and punk rock backgrounds and conversational Spanish.

With the release of their second EP, “We’re More Rock n Roll Than You!,” The Falsies can say that Charlottesville’s rock scene is thriving despite losing terrific venues in the past few months.

The ridiculous yet fun album shows this quartet’s deep understanding of pop and punk rock backgrounds and conversational Spanish.

The title track is practically straight from the minds of the Ramones and NOFX. The double female/male vocals make for nice shout sections as well as diverse dialogue on the verses. The rebellious lyrics, “Don’t you tell us what to do! We’re more rock and roll than you!” are reminiscent of more than three decades of parentally suppressed music, from AC/DC to Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff.

“Uh, Oh, Guess What . ” evokes upbeat punk while telling of a sex-crazed person coming to grips with his reputation, which has gotten a little out of hand. Lead singer Peter Markush effectively portrays the nervousness of the promiscuous individual through his shaky interpretation of the lyrics. The vocal nuances of the choir really add a fun element to the music.

Displaying the band’s conversational Spanish skills, “Donde Estan Mis Pantalones?” bores right off the bat with squeaky female vocals answering the question, “Where are my pants?” The down tempo hard rock feel relatively lags a bit though the lyrics are nothing short of hilarious; “Your pants are in the bathroom. Your pants are in the kitchen. Your pants are at the beach.” The musicality of the band begins to shine during the break down, which has some nice harmonized long tones coming from the four vocalists.

Arguably the sultriest tune on the album, “Are you Sexually Available?” suggests a steady swinging ’50s rock vibe with interesting chords and a nice organ solo. The song kills with a side-splitting monologue, talking about agendas, condom supplies and test results.

The Falsies takes a dark turn with the meditative anthem, “Because We’ve Killed For Less.” The Kaiser Chiefs and White Stripes are definite influences on what I would consider the most modern track on the album. Nice electronic effects on the reverberated vocals and keyboard add a spooky element as well.

“Satan Is A Good Lay,” opens with a deep dark voice and a sexy feminine voice in ecstasy, which gives way to a Pixies-esque rock ballad. The lyrics tell of how fun and tormenting the prince of darkness really is. The segue into the gritty Johnny Cash-like section is a little hard to swallow at first but makes sense in the grand structure of things. The choral and acoustic guitar section gracefully explodes from chaos, no doubt a testament to the finely tuned ear of producer and drummer Lance Brenner.

The Falsies have put out a solid album that showcases their talents effectively and enjoyably. They’re certainly worth a listen and supporting the band has suddenly become a lot easier. They’re playing at the Triple at 3306 W. Broad St. this Saturday at 10 p.m. The show is open to those 21 and older.

Grade: B
Download (don’t steal): “Are You Sexually Available?” by The Falsies

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