[D]etroit has long been the sound of rhythm and blues, doo-wop, jazz and good old rock n’ roll. In fact, the history of the Motor City cannot be told without mentioning the great musicians that helped create the blueprint for today’s music landscape. Newcomers The Kickstand Band have been waiting a few years to add their names to the well traveled Motown map.
The trio released their self-produced debut album, Puppy Love, earlier this month on Suburban Sprawl Music and receives an A++++ in Music Savage Music Appreciation class for a clear understanding of their roots and an undeniable love for their hometown. All ten tracks clock in around 2 minutes and in that time frame Puppy Love takes the listener on a power-pop ride through the downtown streets where Mitch Ryder cut his chops with the Detroit Wheels, skipping across town to where The Supremes set up shop, followed by a stop on the block where The Romantics found success.
The album’s opener “Still Thinking of You Tonight” would be perfect for crashing your parent’s Enchantment Under the Sea dance and would most certainly guarantee a kiss at the end of the song. The following tracks, “So Long Suzie” and “Boyfriend,” keep the late 50’s shuffle sound going strong before kicking into garage-punk gear with “Purgatory” and “Let’s Get Bored.” Boy-Girl harmonies reign supreme throughout the album and a highlight of the band’s vocal prowess is the closing track “New Year’s Eve,” an infectious, pogo-dance inducing, pop song perfect for your own end of 2012 party.
Is it a coincidence that the DeLorean and The Kickstand Band both hail from Detroit? Could be! But you certainly don’t need 1.21 gigawatts to hear timeless music, just good old fashioned Puppy Love.
Take a listen to “Still Thinking of You Tonight” above and keep the music going by purchasing the entire album here.
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