Artist description Tips Fourteens music is pop: some of it is rock, some of it is classic. It is a blend of songcraft, punkrock naivete, and random sound events that make it happen. It is both meaningful, and meaningless... thoroughly dependent on the listener. Smooth words wrap around jagged, rhythmic angles to achieve form, texture, and weight. Loud, fuzzed guitars yield to lyrical vocal melody and blossoming bass...

Music Style indy rock

Musical Influences Neil Young, Syd Barrett, gbv, any singer that says 'yeah'

Similar Artists Buena Vista Social Club

Artist History Tips Fourteens first record, "You're So Famous", is now available! Please visit http://www.tips14s.com to order yours now! ItŐs cool to change... Bill and Spencer met as students at MassArt in '88, and vowed never to start a band. They changed their minds in '96. Under the name 'Lucky Gold', they played as a power pop trio with John Lakian on the drums. Their music was a clear departure from the hippy/heavy metal music that up until that point, had been their main, solo concentrations. It was a roaring, joyful noise that embraced both pop aesthetic and folky deconstruction. They recorded various demos, and one 7". When John left the band in '98 to play full-time with Vera go-go, they enlisted the help of Loretta and Matt to fill out the rhythm section of their new project, Tips Fourteens. Loretta and Matt were multi-instrumental rawk veterans: hard drinkin', highly suggestible, and not too hard on the eyes! A perfect fit for this new band. Tips Fourteens was born.We look at our music as being both pop and nonpop: some of it rock, some of it classic; some of it modern and expansive. It is a blend of songcraft, punkrock naivete, and random sound events that make it happen. Smooth words wrap around jagged, rhythmic angles to achieve form, texture, and weight. Loud, fuzzed guitars yield to lyrical vocal melody and blossoming bass... we don't think it's art-rock per-se, but what the hell do we know... we just try to write songs. We are always learning. By the way, lookout for the follow-up to 'You're So Famous' sometime later this fall.

Group Members Bill Fallon on guitar, keyboard & vocals; Spencer James on guitar & vocals; Mark Osterander on bass, melodica & vocals; Matt Howe on the kit, vocals (with special cameos by Loretta Fernandez on saxophone & keyboard)

Instruments guitars, keyboards, synthesizers, melodica, saxophone, bass, drums

Albums you're so famous

Press Reviews www.mp3.boston.comTips 14s Jeff Burke Boston.com Staff The MP3@boston.com spotlight this week falls upon a rock band from Boston that has the ability to take little bits and pieces of different rock genres and blend them together into a unique sound. The band? Tips 14s These guys will sound familiar.You won't be able to pin down where you've heard them before, but it'll be on the tip of your tongue. Tips 14s (say it quickly, tips for teens, get it?) are a bit of an amalgamation--varying aspects of rock genres all rolled into one. There's a little bit of a lot in there, from the Pixies to The Black Crowes. Yeah, it's that diverse. Amazingly enough, they don't sound like any other one band. There are diverse sounds and influences, but I'll be damned if you can say they sound just like any particular band. There are a lot of bands out there that try to include all the different influences they grew-up with, and most of them fail miserably. The end result is often schizophrenic and sounds annoyingly unfinished. Tips 14s, however, is either extraordinarily lucky or extremely talented. I'm leaning towards the latter. Let's run down the three tracks on MP3@boston.com and that should give you an indication of their musical diversity. The first track, 'Stealing,' opens with a guitar riff that seems to have sprung from an unwritten Pixies song. Guitarists Bill Fallon and Spenser James really impress with their tight work and the complementary manner in which their guitars interact. The vocals on 'Stealing' bugged me for a while because the delivery, and even the timbre, was on the tip of my tongue. Soon it struck me--vocally, 'Stealing' sounds like a Goo Goo Dolls song. A little scary but, thankfully, it was worlds apart musically. The next song entitled 'Mr. Riley' sounds like a song the Counting Crows could come up with if they were annoying. Fallon and James, along-side drummer Matt Howe and bassist Mark Ostrander, all share vocal duties. They sound similar enough so as to have their own styles, but not so different to make you think you're suddenly listening to a different band mid-album. The last song, 'Rock Couture,' was my favorite. It sounds amazingly like a highly polished Shellac song. I couldn't believe my ears the first time I heard it. The fuzzy bass combined with the Albini-esque singing style really evoked thoughts of the Chicago power trio. Tips 14s has a chameleon-like sound, and it works. Rooted in pop-consciousness but diverse enough to grab bits and pieces from different sub-genres, Tips 14s puts it all together quite well. Read what Tips 14s had to say and listen to 'Rock Couture' on their MP3@boston.com page. www.dlclive.com/247.htmlTIPS FOURTEENS - You’re So FamousThis CD grabbed me from the start and never let go. "You’re so famous" is all about great lyrics, strong vocals, and good catchy pop rock. Fronted by Spencer James, who spent a considerable amount of time in Lucky Gold, Tips Fourteens have all the elements of a band with much growth potential, and most importantly the ability to deliver their songs.James shines on "Mr. Riley", which is a sincere, catchy piece that makes you want to read the lyrics. James sings, "How can I let this song sound happy. How can I let go? Leave her alone, just leave her alone", and later bares his soul, "If I could only get one dream, I’d spend it with you". Nothing like a good old fashioned Love song. Not to be outdone, guitarist Bill Fallon also proves his songwriting worth with the very radio friendly "Jet Black Van", which features some nifty guitar. But the real winner here is "Radio Daze", which starts out with Bassist Loretta Fernandez sweet vocals and goes into a vocal harmony explosion that has hit written all over it.All in all "You’re so famous", is a solid record that makes you feel good about the future of the Boston pop scene. In fact it makes you feel good about pop music in general. (The Jazzer)

Additional Info mp3's, tips14s merch, gig schedule, bio & more available at tips14s.com

Location Roslindale, MA - USA

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