Artist description one of the hottest live bands in the southeast

Music Style alternative

Musical Influences Foo Fighters,Cold Play,Beatles,Radio Head,Soul coughing,Ben Folds,U2,Daniel Lanois,Weezer,XTC,REM,

Similar Artists beatles,Jon Spencer,nirvana,ben folds,cold play,radio head

Artist History The members of The Lackies have been in the music business for several years, but it is only now that they have formed what critics are calling “the band to watch” in South Carolina. Not just critics, but fans are eating up their debut album, Itch, which was recently released under Sit N Spin Records. The album is currently being added to playlists on college radio stations all over the country, while their new video for “Under the Sky” has just finished post production. Their songwriting style has been compared to everything from Weezer to Ben Folds Five to The Beatles - and you’ll see by their cover list that they frequently pay homage to those artists, as well as many others. The band has their collective sights on the next level - recording will begin for their next album this Fall. In the meantime, find out what a lot of people are already calling one of the best live bands in the Southeast.

Group Members Dave Sims, Matt Morgan, Jef Chandler, Matthew Smith

Instruments anything that we can put a mic in front of(or behind)

Albums itch,the dirty 1

Press Reviews Lackies become next band to watch A new band from the Upstate could be the band to watch in South Carolina in 2002. The Lackies make a catchy kind of progressive pop rock that draws from a variety of influences, most noticeably The Beatles, Ween, Divine Comedy and XTC. The quartet's debut CD, "Itch," features cool grooves ("What It Is"), magical-mystery moods ("Everything's Changed"), punk aggression ("Spit It Out"), even some Southern-fried funk ("Paid") and speakeasy jazz ("You're Not Alone"). Matt Morgan and Jef Chandler, former members of Seconds Flat and Big Brown Bowl, play guitar; David Sims sings and plays bass; and Matthew Smith plays the drums. "Itch" was made at the band's Better Than Nothin' Studio and produced and engineered by Morgan. It was mastered at the Jam Room Studio in Columbia. The 14-track CD is remarkably melodic, thanks to the songwriting skills of Sims and Morgan, and its occasional do-it-yourself sonic quality seldom detracts from the record's overall sophistication. "Itch" was released on Sit-N'-Spin Records, a label started by Greenville record store owner Jason Graydon, who also has signed The Squids, The Black Lungs, Scott Allen and Rodney Stokes. For information about The Lackies, go to http://www.thelackies.com/, and be on the lookout for upcoming gigs by the band in the Midlands. - Michael Miller, The State The Lackies "Itch" Sit-N-Spin Records I am at a carnival. I am watching the freak show being torn down. I hear music. My ears perk up. I follow the sound to an Impala. Behind the wheel sits a chunky girl and her stuffed panda. She offers me a ride. We go far into the country. Intoxicated by the music, I make a pass at her. She accepts. The panda, sick little voyeuristic bastard that he is, watches. The Lackies' CD "Itch" plays in the background, and it is better than anything the chunky girl has offered me yet. Hmmmm. Not my words, kids; rather the cryptic press release that accompanied the CD. Since I had not heard the first note of their music when I read this, I was hard-pressed to understand how chunky girl lovin' could be usurped by any CD. I had to hear this band immediately... I simply had too many questions. Greenville. The Lackies are just the type of band I knew that city could produce. Quirky, angular and hilarious, The Lackies describe their music as "a feverish ride to all the places your head likes to go...from Weenville to Beatleburg, with a stop by XTCtown." I've consulted my maps of the upstate, and can't seem to locate "Weenville" on any of them. Oh, wait! It's not a real town! Got it. Damn...I was planning a roadtrip. Had my scotchguard all packed, too. Yea, so those references certainly apply. I can't say that I've EVER heard Ween mentioned in the same breath as The Beatles, but the fact that The Lackies can effortlessly mix these two influences certainly says something about their skills as musicians (what it says I'm not sure, but it's all part of the fun). So grab a chunky girl (panda optional) and hop in my Impala...I'm taking you on a tour of "Itch," their new CD (with a stop in Weenville to meet the tomato from the cover of "Chocolate and Cheese"). "Itch" begins with "Under The Sky," which manages to incorporate the influence of The Beatles and XTC into one track of pop perfection. The vocals, seemingly delivered by the bastard son of Andy Partridge and Ringo Starr (Ringo Partridge?), are instantly catchy, and swim nicely above chiming arpeggios and a lovely acoustic guitar. A nice way to begin an album that gets progressively more bizarre from here... "Strawberry Pie" sounds like turning the dial on the radio, hitting all of the classic rock stations and mixing the riffs into one glorious party. Clean, tight and melodic leads swagger around, pretending to be drunk, but in full control of their faculties. The party-goers, drunken lot all of them, cheer and roar in the background, and join in on the chorus, providing some incredible backing vocals. Another solo and a few drunken screams later, and I am hitting the PLAY button again. Were there any justice in this world, this song would be a hit. The crazy atmosphere of "Strawberry Pie" quickly fades into "Now I Can Only See You," a soft, jazzy number. Smooth guitars and brushed drums provide the backing for the creamy vocals. Creamy? Yea, creamy. The chunky girl in the Impala likes this one...and what she likes, I like. "What It Is" opens with a blast of truncated horns that would not sound out of place on an N.W.A. song. The liner notes of "Itch" credit two of the band members with "sampling," but since no sample credits are given, I have to assume that they are all made organically by the band. A crisp drum machine beat, a cool organ, a wah-wah guitar and more horns groove along, as the vocals ("wish I had a trash bag/to put you in, my friend"), which sound almost as if they were delivered by Lenny Kravitz in the chorus, slide easily over the top. A slap bass, another organ and some loopy vocal samples make for a clever breakdown, but the song quickly finds its feet, and it's time to dance again. After some crowd applause and a ferociously-strummed acoustic guitar, "Everything's Changed" begins. The vocals are soaked with a Leslie-like effect, giving weight to the lyrics, which are similar to Joe Walsh in subject and delivery. This song only lasts for a minute and a half, but I bet it is a staple of The Lackies' live set. "The Devil" is a piece of prog-rock genius. Monkeys shriek, a carnival organ pushes the song forward, as a backward guitar riff heightens the suspense. Another flange effect saturates the vocals, which are mostly concerned with -you guessed it- the devil. A psychedelic breakdown incorporates bah-bah-bahs, some excellent drumming, tribal noises and a sterling solo. A lonely acoustic guitar finishes the song, and The Lackies prove that they are more than the sum of their influences. Another drunken orgy disguised as a song, "Paid" finally shows the Ween influence with some insane vocals, a chunky guitar riff and a slinky wah-wah. An awesome whorehouse organ enters midway through the song, and my only concern is that my roomate does not catch me singing along... "The Caper" is a vaudeville soap opera set to music. These guys are from Greenville? I checked the liner notes, and John Cleese and Eric Idle are not credited, so I have to assume that Americans wrote this one. Rapid vocals tell the story of some clumsy robbers and a scheme gone bad. Hilarious, but a confusing choice for a South Carolinian band. Welcome to The Lackies' world... The Lackies experiment with some hardcore leanings on the next one, "Spit It Out," with tongues planted firmly in cheeks, I'm sure. An over-driven guitar (or is it a bass?) propels the song forward, while a squeaky synth goes wild over the carnage. The vocals pay tribute to Tenacious D's Jack Black, and show yet another suburb of Lackyland. Radio static and more jazzy guitar begin "You're Not Alone." "I just pulled into Kansas/got a thousand miles to go/I'm counting all the cornstalks/row by row" go the lyrics, beautifully sung, but with a mischievous slant in the old eyebrow, I'm certain. Yea, the bullhorned vocal in the middle proves this. The Lackies again successfully mix humor with beauty on this one. "The Dirty One" is a sludgy, neo-metal ballad to some slut or other. The lyrics, screamed and distorted, call out the trashy wench, while the guitars reach for arena rock bravado. I'll bet you five bucks that this one goes on your next breakup mix tape. I know I'm putting it on a tape for the chunky girl. That bitch left me once "Itch" ended. But wait! There is a hidden track! This is the type of song you write if you have too much scotchguard and too many pitch shifters. Hilarious, though... The Lackies mix flawless musicianship with a healthy measure of humor, and set themselves up as one of South Carolina's most unique bands. Can you see the cult forming? I know I can. Take the last train to Lackieville. I'll meet you at the station. Bring chunky girls (but leave the pandas at home). -Michael Jones "scbands.com" The Lackies - Itch Recorded at Better Than Nothin Studios Produced and Engineered by Matt Morgan Mastered at Jam Room and B.T.N.S. Released by Sit-n- Spin Records Reviewer -Monica Arrington After listening to this CD, you may come out of the experience shaking your head in confusion. For those who have to label bands, there will be no clear answers. Let's just say this Greenville, SC-based band, the Lackies, is a sharp quartet of musicians. These players offer a debut album, entitled Itch, on Sit-n-Spin Records. To say this is an electric recording is indeed an understatement. No two songs are alike and that's why it's so difficult to pin them down with one particular style. They do, however, give you fair warning of this at the beginning of the disc, from a little old lady wo explains that the recording must be heard completely upon its first listening before passing judgment. And before you try to figure out what is going on, the Lackies immediately prepare you with the relaxing and refreshing track, “As You Are.” But wait, the next thing you know your ears are led into Southern fried ditties, funk tunes, jazzy ballads, touches of trip-hop, and circus-like goth. If there is a signature sound the group claims, it might be the British pop sensibilities of groups like the Beatles, XTC, or The Stones. Even though there is so much to mull over, all the songs invite us to just enjoy and have fun with what they provide. Think of it this way, they are only pooling their resources to maximize the pleasures music can bring. Contact: www.thelackies.com

Additional Info record label : Sit-N-Spin ,, www.sitnspininc.com

Location Greenville, SC - USA

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