Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin @ Echo

ARTICLE BY CHARLOTTE MOSS
PHOTOS BY DARREN KIM

MAY 13 | ECHO PARK—At times, such superficialities as the name of a band is enough to arouse interest, which is why I found myself at the Tangier in 2006 watching a band called Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. The band’s self-released debut album, Broom, had promise, offering nice enough, catchy pop tunes. And though slightly awkward, the band live also was nice enough. Sincere, small-town men from Springfield, Miss., one member mentioned it was the band’s first visit to Los Angeles. They wasn’t dressed particularly fashionable nor did they have much polish or sheen, but they were enthusiastic and appreciative. The most memorable aspect of this 2006 show was how young and new SSLYBY appeared on stage. They were obvious beginners to the whole music scene.

Now fast-forward two years later to tonight at the Echo, where SSLYBY performed to a sizable audience. It has only been two years, but the band is noticably more professional, though still displaying much sincerity and enthusiasm for their music. SSLYBY is currently on tour in support of new album Pershing, which isn’t drastically different from Broom and mostly continues from where that debut left off. Both releases offer breezy pop music perfect for a summer day.

Happy to be here tonight, SSLYBY often dedicated songs to different people in the audience, one of which was to their “friends in L.A.” Since Pershing was just recently released, the newer tracks didn’t elicit as much of a response as the older (and better) Broom songs. Single “Oregon Girl” had fans clapping along, with some even dancing, as did “Pangea.” The music of this Springfield band is the physical equivalent of a warm hug and a slight grin. Their sunny displays of optimism are suitable for Los Angeles (see “Beach Song”), yet it also can be somewhat uninteresting, just as niceties can be oddly wearing.

From their music to their persona, everything about SSLYBY is nice enough, so much so that it is difficult to fault them for that very reason. Although I had an enjoyable time tonight at the Echo, there was little that I took away from the show. While the first show at the Tangier was memorable for that newness, sharing the untapped excitement of being in a band and touring for the first time, this show offered a more polished indie pop band that was nice enough but none too exciting. And even though they continue to make catchy pop music, there is something slightly more interesting in that first, self-released recording. Of course, that’s the nature of life and such novel innocence can never be recaptured. SSLYBY song “Anna Lee” recently was featured on a MasterCard commercial, so it looks like their sunny optimism will be spreading to more places than these small-town boys might have expected.

SSLYBY will continue its U.S. tour until July, and you can see a full list of dates on the SSLYBY MySpace. You also can stream the Pershing album there.

Comments

[paulag]

i love you boris yeltsin

[Dmitry Medvedev]

someone still loves you vlady putin.