lambchops's Full Review: Sugareen - Nineteen Wheels
Maybe I’m partial to local acts. Then again, maybe Nineteen Wheels (aka 19 Wheels) really has some musical and lyrical talent…
Nineteen Wheels is one of dozens of acts trying to make it big in the Lansing, Michigan bar scene. But, what separates this alternative act from most of the others is the fact that they really are good and some of their songs could be played easily on alternatively rock stations nationwide. The songs are full of hooks and honestly wry lyrics.
Amidst the rubble of various local bands, Nineteen Wheels was formed in East Lansing during 1994. The band consists of four members: Chris Johnston (vocals), Scott Owens (guitar), Tim Marzorati (bass), and Greg Williams (drums). Before singing to AWARE Records and releasing their debut, the band managed to put together an indie EP and become a mainstay on the local circuit.
Six Ways From Sunday was released in 1997 and featured a very countrified Nineteen Wheels. In addition, the album included some rock tracks and straightforward alternative tracks. But, it wasn’t until 2000’s Sugareen that I found the band.
Sugareen got consistent airplay in the Lansing area and in the Detroit area (among other radio markets). The first four cheerful, unassuming tracks were likely candidates for singles and thus garnered the most attention. And, when you throw in the band’s remake of the Bachman Turner Overdrive classic You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet the album is much better than many albums from already established acts. These facts make me wonder….”why hasn’t Nineteen Wheels hit it big?”
Maybe the problem arises in songs like So Cool…an bitingly honest ode to being a rock star. Various pseudo-rockers have proved over the years that it’s easy to get people to listen. But, Nineteen Wheels does something more in this track. They make listeners think about the lyrics and then laugh in response…quite an accomplishment for any band of musicians. But, especially for an undiscovered band like Lansing’s own Nineteen Wheels. Anyway. Check out this lyrical sample from So Cool:
We got tattoos and a rental van,
WIth my girlfriend's money,
Now she wants it back 'cause she hates the band,
We think that's funny,
You think I'm so cool,
We're in it for the money,
Guitars and tattoos,
You fell for it honey,
Don't you think that's cool?
Nineteen Wheels continues on their rant about media in TV Queen. The song speaks bluntly about the shallowness of Hollywood. The music is a tidy blend of rock and pop in a very recent Sugar Ray way (not that I like to compare the two bands by any means). One of the better tracks on the album.
The song that first introduced me to the band was Broken. Simple instruments, and age-old alternative melody, and Johnston’s smooth vocals make the track and easy sell. And, of the ten tracks here I’m most fond of this love song disguised by a comparison to a broken guitar with broken strings.
Happens All Over The World begins by sounding very much like a rock and roll Cars track. But, it’s the chorus that best defines this track. It sounds like something from Stone Temple Pilots’ newest album mixed with the Beach Boys and overhauled with alternative punk attitude. Yeah, I like the track just not as much as the first three.
360 also strikes me as a marketable single with the tidy verses and singles, but it’s not nearly as entertaining or driving as the first three tracks. Loveydoveytown begins with a hollow drum machine and rhythmic vocals…a combination that proves both interesting and annoying at the same time. And then there’s the worst song on the entire album (the only one truly on the skip list), Good Enough.
Finally, I’d like to talk about the band’s interesting take on You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet. Since the original is such a well-known classic, Nineteen Wheels really had their work cut out. Rather than trying to remake the song using the same sorts of instruments, the band chose to lighten it up a little and Johnston’s voice seems less pushy and less demanding. It takes until the end of the first verse that I find the song easily identifiable. And, by the time the chorus kicks in the song is in full swing…and more appealing to most of today’s listeners. And, with the message of the song being hopeful it seems a perfect end to the album.
I really do enjoy the large majority of Sugareen. A lot of the one hit wonder bands of today may have been able to stick around a bit longer had they been at the helm of an album like this sophomore effort by Nineteen Wheel. I hope that more and more stations nationally pick up on this act. Like I said in the beginning, I might be a bit biased, but I do see a LOT of promise here. I give this album 4/5 stars and a hardy recommendation to fans of pop-rock music ala Third Eye Blind mixed with the belly laughs of Barenaked Ladies.
Track Listing:
1. So Cool
2. TV Queen
3. Broken
4. Happens All Over The World
5. Rabies
6. 360
7. Boomtown
8. Good Enough
9. Loveydoveytown
10. You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
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