The Late Night - I Said Goddamn!
Release Date: April 3, 2007
Record Label: Unsigned
If anyone ever wonders why we do things like our Small Band Round Up, I now have a more convincing and succinct answer than I ever had before. Instead of replying about the ideals of helping the underdogs get noticed or making sure no one gets passed over for coverage, I can now respond with three little words as a prime example - The Late Night. I love venturing into the SBRUs and clicking on myspace links to get a taste of the undiscovered talent out there, and it never ceases to amaze me just how good bands are getting nowadays. And every so often, you get that one little spark that turns into an explosion - the diamond in the rough and a thousand other clichéd superlatives. For me, The Late Night was that band - the type that resonates with you on so many levels and makes you wonder how such a group could remain unsigned.
Musically, The Late Night offers up a compelling type of flavor. It could almost be considered dance-rock, but certainly not in the traditional sense. There are no silly drum and bass dabbles, no gratuitous use of vocoders, no '80s synth dropping - none of that garbage. The Late Night's music remains ultimately danceable because the songs are just so well written, and are delivered with a huge helping of contagious passion that strikes a chord with listeners. Some close comparisons might be We Are Scientists without the retro garage fuzz, or Rock Kills Kid without the euro-wave leanings. TLN is instead entirely slick, and drape themselves in a modern gloss behind the production touch of Paul Leavitt.
As a band, The Late Night is a well-equipped bunch, with no slackers in their midst. And while I Said Goddamn! is a balanced attack on all fronts (crackling percussion, soaring riffs, rich bass), the real standout is the vocal delivery of frontman Yamil Alexis. A listen to the title track, "I Want You To Look Good Naked," or any of the other cuts on the record tells the listener all he needs to know about Alexis. This guy is the real deal - he can turn from shrill to tranquil on a dime, and exudes sex, rage, confidence, and so many other emotions and ideals that elevate his presence to a higher plane. But really, this would mean nothing on its own, as the rest of The Late Night underscores him quite perfectly, and the album's guest vocals are applied in kind with precision and tact to make for incredibly charming accents.
Whether it's the concussive assault of "Cardiac Roulette," where Alexis wails, "Is this everything you need, am I everything you want? Do you hear the bell - it's a knockout kiss in the final round" or the barn-burning "I Said Goddamn!" there is plenty of high-octane material here to rock out to. "Listen Up All You Cats" walks the same anthemic line, and transitions coolly into the serene interlude of "Popped.Dazed.Polite" which serves as a nice refresher that adds dimension to the band's sound. Finally, "I Want You To Look Good Naked" and "Let's Talk Some Jive" round out the record's highlights, with all songs oozing with huge radio potential.
Overall, it is easy to say that The Late Night is one of my three favorite unsigned bands right now. If I had a label of my own, they would be the first band I signed outright - on the strength of this release, their endless commercial potential, and the promise they show for the future. Check these guys out - play I Said Goddamn!, crank it up, and try to sit still. I, for one, can't wait to see what else this band has in store for the future.
man is it just me or is Maryland(and the Townson area specifically) bursting at the seems with great bands. I mean, All Time Low, Dangerous Summer, and these guys,
could Townson be the new Chicago?
I'm glad their shit got stolen, now I don't have to see it in front of my house all the time. syke I'm just fucking with u guys I love them, it's fucked up that their stuff is gone.
These guys are personal friends of mine, and i can honestly say aside from being some of the most talented guys i know, they are also some of the nicest ones also, Im sure these guys will be life long friends of mine...
But as a band there work ethic is one that comes along once in a long while and im sure oneday soon it will pay off for them.
Watch out for my boys in tln ; )
<3
I'm not a big fan of the singer's voice, but the songs are good enough to keep me listening. I think it will grow on me; I'll have to catch a show when I go home at the end of the summer.
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