Street Smart Cyclist - Limited Edition EP 7" Released February, 2007 www.absolutepunk.net Cap’n Jazz ruined me. Fascination for Midwest-bred proto-emo has yet to see itself out of the picture and I’ve never been the same since. Analphabetapolothology is permanently ingrained in my car stereo and I can’t muster up enough strength to ride without it. Its youthful energy, its unorthodox measures, its brilliance – that album is just too damn addictive. I’ve never been the same since. Now in terms of attempting to explore outside the usual slew of recommendations that come with liking such 90’s underground juggernauts, I could say it was honestly fairly minimal. Castor was about as deep as I got and that was just fine. It wasn’t until quite recently that a Midwestmo revival of sorts became apparent. Cue local Bethlehem, Pennsylvania favorites Street Smart Cyclist. With a tenacity that is a take-back to early influences such as Braid and The Get Up Kids, Cyclist plows through three excellent songs with a fervor that brings a tear to my eye. Demos never really find their place in my stereo all too much, save for this one. Each of the three songs are instant classics, even surpassing the very bands of old they share similarities with at certain points. “Hoods Up!”, a fan favorite, is a fair representation of how invaluable singer John Galm is to the band. Some could call his vocals ‘gruff’ or ‘unconventional’, but that doesn’t stop him from breaking free from the norm and pushing the band in a completely hectic direction the way Tim Kinsella did so many years ago. “Master of Puppets” is the first song I heard from Street Smart Cyclist and remains to be one of my favorites no matter how many times it is rotated. It just has this very controlled chaos that is hard to describe. Crunchy yet buoyant bass lines courtesy of Nate Dionne and swimming guitar lines from Jon Geeting, Kevin DeFranco, and Ross Brazuk top the song off perfectly. “The Three Lane Cut” closes out the demo with the better envisioned song of the three. It's about the same tempo as "Hoods Up!" and "Master of Puppets", but something about it reaches further into this band's undeniable talent. A truly great performance, speaking of, is heard here from drummer Dave Geeting with his chugging, math-y spin on the instrument. www.skylinepress.net/review What can 6 guys from Pennsylvania do? Well first they can start up an emo band called Street Smart Cyclist and second they can send me a baby-blue 7'' vinyl with three of their most recent songs on it. Limited pressing eh? Well I'm number 82/300 and I'm feeling ready to listen to some of their edgy and seemingly raw atmosphere. This felt a little nostalgic because of the record, I just knew that this is underground music at it's best. Seeing that a 7'' vinyl has been the calling card of the punk band for running on more then 25 years it takes roots in old punk even with it's emo texture. It's a fast paced rush of guitars and drums to your ears with throaty, angst filled vocals. The catchy anthems of shouts and betwixed bass pounds went relatively well together with the unusually frothy guitars in all. "Paster of Muppets" really got my attention with its waves of guitars and what just felt like a talented mixture of elements. The guitars were flash dancing with the rough vocals in the background which balanced the high pitched exposures. As a vinyl with three songs on it, I was really impressed to see Street Smart Cyclist be able to get me engaged with so little material. I always was a sucker for punk and this feels like an old familiar face from awhile ago during let's say the Blink 182 and Mxpx era. Superb, raw, anthem punk in such a little dose? I need more! Check these guys out. Street Smart Cyclist is all I could ever want in a band and more. They are a powerful presence in what I hope to be a returning style we lost track of when, arguably, the beloved Braid disbanded. Sit down and listen to what real passion in music sounds like. Only then will you understand what Street Smart Cyclist has accomplished with a mere three-song demo. www.punknews.org/review Our Neighborhood Records thought Street Smart Cyclist's demo was good enough to press onto vinyl and I can't say I disagree. These songs are only the first three Street Smart Cyclist have put to tape (I'm fairly sure), and with a potent, totally impressive blend of Braid and caP'n Jazz on tap, it's about time for webzines everywhere to collectively shit their pants. "Hoods Up!" starts this 7" off in splendid fashion, with that familiar style of guitar interplay and a heavy jangle of chords once the song really gets going. However, the true highlight of this one is really when the handclaps and group vocals kick in -- the chant-along of "when I would talk talk talk you were always there to listen / to everything I had to explain, which would mean nothing at all" is a surefire to get a crowd, or a listener, going. The tradeoff of "at all!" between two vocalists in the band, by the way, is hilariously derivative of Braid, but we can definitely let that slide. Wrapping up the pleasingly royal blue record is "Pastor of Muppets" and "The Three Lane Cut," which are hardly without their moments. Street Smart Cyclist had me from the outset but it took a couple listens to really sink in. In that sense, it's basically drowning (this metaphor is still positive, I swear), and the only thing that's likely to rescue it is a full-length. www.faketrain.com/reviews It’s time to take a stroll down memory lane. Listening to the limited pressing of Street Smart Cyclist’s three-song 7” gave me goose bumps. The slab o’ wax takes me back to my teenage years when the sharp melodic scrapings of early Braid and Cap’n Jazz never left my stereo. Over ten years later I still find it hard to let go. The influences are heavy, but they don’t distract from the fact that Bethlehem, Pennsylvania’s Street Smart Cyclist write some pretty damn energetic songs. They definitely breathe a little youthfulness into my old weathered punk-rock heart, and with every listen I feel more energized. There’s nothing like the fusion of sharp grating guitars, endlessly dancing guitar picks, loud vigorous vocals, a constant barrage of cymbal strikes, group hand-claps galore, and the 90s influenced mid-west drive to put you in a good mood. The songs pass through slow quiet moments to bouncy fast-paced melodic punk-rock, but if you grew up knowing and loving the sound, you already know the drill. The lead off song, “Three Lane Cut,” might be the standout for me, but all three tracks are irresistible. The three tracks found on this 7” are taken from their demo, and the vinyl press is limited to 300. So don’t hesitate. I can’t wait to hear the progression of this Keystone based outfit, especially since their first three demo tape songs are incredibly amazing. www.pastepunk.com From Bethlehem, PA comes a group of individuals who go by the name STREET SMART CYCLIST. On this self-titled 7-inch release, the six fellas create three songs of CAP'N JAZZ influenced music. With three guitarists battling it out with one another in the forefront and a solid rhythm section holding down the low-end, the Cyclist's music is as intricate as they come. Throw in handclaps, shouting back-up vocals, and rigid lead vocals and we've got ourselves a legitimate and enjoyable band. I hope these guys make it out of Bethlehem. www.soundaslanguage.wordpress.com Street Smart Cyclist have put out one of the more impressive demos I have heard in a long time. At only three songs and not even 9 minutes in running time you would think it would be a hard feat to accomplish. The band is able to combine a raw pop-punk feel with the emo mathiness of early Braid and Cap n’ Jazz. It is quite a breath-taking listen. On the demo’s opening song, “Hoods Up!”, the raw sing-along ability of the band is in full display. The song reminds one of the infectious energy created by the great Latterman. The noodly guitar that runs beneath the gruff vocals on the second song, “Pastor of Muppets”, is wonderfully familiar to emo’s past glory days. On the demo’s final track, “The Three Lane Cut”, Street Smart Cyclist is hitting on all cylinders. The song brings all the the band’s awesome qualities to the surface. Add to that the band’s obvious passion and sincerity and you have all the ingredients for an amazing demo. Street Smart Cyclist’s first three songs ring out for a return to honest emo/punk rock. If this demo is any indication of what is to come, color me stoked. www.aversion.com 4 out of 5 stars Johnny straightened and dyed his hair jet black. Now it hangs down over one eye. Johnny wears his girlfriend's jeans and writes bad poetry. His go-to topics are vampires, death, and slit wrists. Johnny wears T-shirts that look painted-on and his black-rimmed glasses reveal his ever-shoegazing eyes. Johnny feels life is pain, love is fleeting, and all hope is lost. Well Johnny, this ain't for you. Street Smart Cyclist is emo devoid of runaway drama, overly sensitive crybaby antics, and broken-hearted gloom and self-pity. So Johnny, put the razor blade down. Luckily for us, your years of wearing unbelievably tight jeans will leave you sterile and unable to pass along your genes. The feel of the Street Smart Cyclist EP brings you back to the good days-of-yore emo like Sunny Day Real Estate and Texas Is the Reason, and post-millenial acts like Latterman and the late Renee Heartfelt. Upbeat, optimistic, lightning quick rhythms guided by an always melodic three-guitar assault that's ridiculously nimble and always cohesive. John Galm's strained, quasi-raspy/throaty vocals lend the perfect urgency to the equation. The product is a nearly tangible sense of honesty and heartfelt passion with a sense of immediacy that many bands try to manufacture, but rarely succeed to convey. Melo-delicious and smart, disc starter "Hoods Up" is the spur to the side of wild horse that triggers the frenzied pace kept throughout the track and EP. With Small Brown Bike- and Latterman-like communal vocals and hand claps aplenty, the track is smile-inducing and slam-dance friendly. Energetic, catchy, and quick. Following close on the heels of "Hoods Up", "Pastor of Muppets" keeps the up-tempo pace with a sturdy guitar line that darts and jumps about the track, keeping the listener's ears always a step behind, and trying to keep up. Like its cohorts, disc closer "The Three Lane Cut" keeps things running fast till its waning minutes when finally, the tempo slows and is carried out by a repeated communal chorus. What's really captivating is the unmistakable sort of tamed spastic elasticity that keeps the instrumentation from shooting off in every direction amidst guitars and rhythmatics that seem nearly uncontrollable. Despite the pace and abrupt stop-starts, nothing seems out of place. Everything is sonically taut, and cleanly presented. While only a brief insight into the ingenuity of these six Bethlehem, Penn. youths with its three tracks in nine minutes, the Street Smart Cyclist is a great teaser for things to come. No pretentiousness, no self-indulgent noodling, no look-at-me posturing. Just straightforward emo rock that's inventive, clever, and worthwhile. Leave Johnny with his woeful poetic rantings. We have better things to listen to www.mutinyzine.com/reviews Listening to the Street Smart Cyclist demo brings the Get Up Kids to mind as well as a feeling of Hot Water Music. I like this 7" a lot but there's one thing that really bothers me. The vocals are mixed way to low and it's kind of hard to hear singer John Galm's voice. I hope this was not intentional bacause apart from this the record is really good. It's melodic & poppy and it's got a lot of energy. I'd like to hear some more from this band in the future. This demo 7" is limited to 300 on blue vinyl. Get a copy if this sounds interesting, it's really good. /Christer, Mutiny Zine Bees and the Birds - Custom EP Released January, 2007 www.skylinepress.net/reviews Although it was almost impossible to find out information concerning this band, I was able to dig up a few facts and interesting tidbits about this band and their recent self titled EP. Coming from the city of brotherly love is Bees And The Birds, a band of five that looks to create a cheerful outlook for you are yours, while coxing their naturalistic sound out of its slumber. With guitars and banjos, I swore I was in a country time sing along. But sensual lyrics that border on horny, were funny to hear and made the correlation between their name and their subject more powerful. While very quirky and alive, the sound brings together a bunch of wonky elements to make a makeshift folk style. Their vocals are very balanced which was much appreciated as the hoe down continued. It all combines for a simplistic back to nature type of feeling between each strum and hum. I loved the subtle taste that you got with the song "Waiting For A Call." It is completely acoustics with the talented singing that both Josh and Chrissy mix to get that perfect feeling down. It turned out to be a nice little lullaby and ode to those in the transition of love. Something we can all relate to. This self titled mini EP was a nice little taste of what Bees And The Birds have to offer and I was able to listen without getting bored. And while the banjo's cool legitimacy is on thin ice, the rest of it was pretty great, making it a fine release for being Our Neighborhood Records first one. Check Bees And The Birds out when they put out their next full length, I'm sure you won't regret it. ~ Pernell April 23 2007 www.smother.net/reviews Much like their moniker, Bees and the Birds tell a simple tale with as few words as possible and as little hyperbole as one can muster. Based out of Philadelphia, Bees and the Birds give us infectious and catchy tunes of indie pop and folk-pop. Simple instrumentation involving guitar, banjo, harmonica, drums, bass, and some slide guitar lets the music speak for itself rather than cramming a ton of whirling sounds and production into the mix. Simple and effective with a wealth of emotions and melodies, just the way it ought to be. www.punknews.org/review What a day, eh, Milhouse? The sun is out, birds are singing, bees are trying to have sex with them -- as is my understanding... -Bart Simpson Bees and the Birds. Yes, the band’s moniker is derived from that popular yet mysterious euphemism for sex, but unlike young Bart, there’s no chance that listeners will mistake what is actually going on here. The band plays an irresistible blend of indie pop and folk (slide guitar and banjo included) that features a delightful blend of male and female vocals. The result is a three-song EP that is the most infectious debut I’ve heard yet this year. The opening track, "Birds and Da Bees" is an upbeat number that is introduced with a youthful yelp, but its content is anything but childlike. Vocalists Josh Craft and Chrissy Tashjian pull out some wonderfully playful harmonies as they discuss action between the sheets, creating a unique contrast between the poppy melody and the suggestive lyrical content. The second track shows the band’s bluegrass influences in the bouncy bassline and Tashjian’s harmonies, but it also shows the group making a slight youthful misstep. Though it is still a solid track, it does not sound quite as tight or complete as the other two tunes on the EP. The band certainly recovers with the third and final song on the disc, “Waiting for a Call.” This track is arguably the best on the EP, and undoubtedly the most charming. It’s a slower number than the rest in which Craft and Tashjian trade vocal lines and the latter, in particular, really shows off her vocal power as she belts out her lines. This three-song EP truly invokes the band’s name in its execution, and as a first-time effort can be likened roughly to someone’s first time in bed. It begins with a rush of excitement and undeniable appeal, and though there is a brief period where it’s a bit shaky, it concludes with such a bang that those short seven-and-a-half minutes will have left you restless in waiting for your next experience.

Our Neighborhood Records © 2007