New York Rivals
By: Lisa
Rating: 
“I’m a sinner at my best cause there aint no time to rest”
On August 29, 2011 the future of four local New York boys forever changed; it was that day that the New York rivals were born. Now less than three months later this band is taking the alternative rock scene by storm. Deriving their name from an incident where lead singer Josh Moran’s bike was stolen from his residing town of Brooklyn, New York they’ve released their self-titled debut album (you can buy it on iTunes now or wait till October 18th to buy a physical copy). After giving it a listen I have found myself clambering up & into the bandwagon before everyone else has the chance to. Influenced by the Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, The Pixies and other 90’s grunge acts they push forward with concrete bass lines, ever changing guitar sounds, and steady drum work to create an album worthy of the praise they’ve been receiving.
Starting out with “I’m Not Ready Yet” followed by “Alcohol” and “Follower”, the New York Rivals begin their journey to show us exactly what they’re made of. With former Armor for Sleep drummer Nash Breen, guitarist Erik Rudic, and bassist Gianni Scalise they bring their musical individuality to a table fit for a king. “Black and Blue”, the band’s first single off the album, shows the range they are capable of; from creating more aggressive songs such as “Come On Now” to radio friendly songs as well. “Wild and Free” gives a bit of a midway point to the album. An acoustic song showing a gentler side you wouldn’t necessarily expect from the band. “Time could stop as long as you’re with me; she’s everything I wish that I could be, so where do we go from here?” Rounding out the album are “Innocent Eyes” a song about how badly we wish we could see things the way we used to, “We Used to be Friends” (the title says it all) and “Lost One”. “Fall Apart” and “Change” finish off the album in the same way it started, setting the bar pretty high for a debut record.
Produced by Jon Kaplan, Oliver Straus, and Machine this eleven track album has the New York Rivals compared to big bands such as The Killers, Queens of the Stone Age, and even Joy Division. And at times reminding me of Tyler Glenn from Neon Trees and even leaving me with a Smashing Pumpkins vibe. The energetic sound they brag about on their Facebook page really does shine through in this album and though I haven’t had the opportunity to see them live, I imagine they’d put on a hell of a show. They currently are on tour with 90’s legends The Lemonheads and will be continuing to tour throughout the rest of the year. If you’re one of those people who hate discovering bands after everyone else, than you might wanna get on board now; otherwise before long you’ll be out of luck. Oh and by the way, whoever stole his bike, Josh still wants it back.
http://www.facebook.com/newyorkrivals
