The Whigs, not to be confused with The Afghan Whigs

[The Perineum Falcon]

The Site
The Whigs @ MySpace

A friend of mine mentioned one night a month or so ago (maybe two) that they were playing in a local bar. They were, according to him, the "next big thing." They were about to "blow up" or something with the similar connotation of being "big" with quotes around it.
He'd read something about them months before in Rolling Stone, an article that stated they were one of the Top Ten Bands to Watch.
"The Next Great Band From R.E.M.'s Hometown?"
We went that night for the cheap price of a cover charge (being only $5) and a few beers. The stage was small, as well as the venue, and their performance was both intimate and grand. Energetic throughout.
I bought their CD, Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip, that night and it's played consistently in my CD player. My friends are the same.
I think it'd be very difficult for many people to deny its addictive nature. I know, at least, it's hard for me. Even harder to get their songs out of my head.
Songs like 'Technology,' 'Violet Furs,' and 'O.K, Alright' are the most immediate cause of this new found addiction. The drums, for me, are the most immediately striking aspect (get it? ), delivered by a drummer who held a distant ressemblance to Zach Braff (maybe it's his nose? Yes, it could be his nose.).
Their more melancholy songs, however, such as 'Half the World Away' and 'All My banks,' reach heights that are nearly unparralleled on the rest of the album, especially the former - not to slight the catchier tunes. 'All My Banks' has a surprising but unobtrusive horn blaring in and out through the course of the song. As another described, the instruments play "just long enough to give emphasis" before going out.
In the end, the CD's great, but the show was even better. If you have a chance to see these guys, take it. Hopefully you'll enjoy it just as much as I did.