Poster Children
No More Songs About Sleep and Fire
Hidden Agenda
If Poster Children were a “full-time band,” they’d be huge. I don’t mean Yeah Yeah Yeahs huge, because I think they already have that. Ya know? But I think they’d be, I don’t know, like Creed huge. No kiddin’. Frat guy big.
For instance, bassist Rose Marshack has that indie rock grrl look that is fairly popular now, at least on the college campuses I stalk. And I’m not sure about this, but if she had a tattoo – only slightly visible – she’d be a covergirl type. Oh, kind of like Brody Armstrong of The Distillers but less bitchy, with fewer tattoos, I guess. Rick Valentin has that geek rock star thing going for him. I mean, he’s a computer scientist by day, Rock God by night. I wonder if he has secret identity hipster glasses, too. Oh, and you can’t forget his brother, Jim. Six-slinger indie cred. Can’t beat that shit.
What’s best about all this is that they got the musical chops to back it up – not like those other “post-wave revival” full time bands, The Rapture or Hot Hot Heat. For proof, all you have to do is listen to their ninth full-length record, No More Songs About Sleep and Fire. Marshack tugs along on her bass, providing the “heavy” to Rick’s melody, as new drummer Matt Friscia delivers a wonderful punkish tempo on “Sugafriend” and lays it all out on the politically charged “The Leader.”
On “The Floor,” the listener is greeted with a Pixies-inspired tune with its acoustic intro and demanding, aggressive vocals. The dual guitar of Jim and Rick Valentin turn the all-consuming angular guitar pop on its nose – who but the Children created this “jangling” to begin with?
So, you see, if Poster Children didn’t spend so much time with “real” jobs, they’d be huge. Creed huge. I swear. But for now, I’m glad I’ve got them to myself, relatively speaking of course.
Parasol: [www.parasol.com/](http://www.parasol.com/) • Poster Children: [www.posterchildren.com/](http://www.posterchildren.com/)
