Gauntlet - About: Dave Heaton

Stories

Nerf Herder, American Cheese
2002-09-05 - Dave Heaton, Gauntlet Staff

Embracing nerddom like only Nerf Herder can, the latest release by this little Californian band of geeks, American Cheese, dishes out even more of the delectable nerd-core tunes that so many of us social outcasts have come to love. Topping their simple power-pop melodies with singer Parry Gripp's pubescent-esque vocal style and slightly-off, though laugh-inducing lyrics, Nerf Herder has once again succeeded in creating a rock-hard album which will relate to anyone who has ever been, or perhaps still is, the underrated, unappreciated, nerd. While Nerf Herder may not top any pop charts with this one, they'll certainly keep all of us smiling while we await the next Star Trek marathon.More... (1 comment)

The Full Nine, Self-titled
(Mammoth)
2002-06-13 - Dave Heaton

SPUN: - In a market overflowing with prefabricated pop, redundant rock, and more celebrity clones than you can shake a stick at, even a little deviation from the trend can be relieving. Debuting with their self-titled album, Toronto's The Full Nine brings with them a very familiar rock sound that thankfully hasn't quite been exploited to that all too common nausea-inducing point. While this somewhat typical, Age of Electric styled rock band may not have anything outrageously unique to offer the world, their ability to put out well-polished, marginally offbeat tracks should be enough to keep them afloat in this mainstream sea of numbers.

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The Weekend, Teaser EP
(Teenage USA)
2002-06-06 - Falice Chin and , Dave Heaton, Gauntlet Staff

Spun - Falice Chin

What could possibly be worse than the movie Josie and the Pussycats? A band that sounds exactly like them!

This four-piece band calls this a Teaser EP, but it's more like a lollipop for some young "punk" chick. It's almost unbelievable that The Weekend opened for such amazing acts as Green Day and The Get Up Kids. The songs on the album all sound the same: pop-punk with a fair sprinkling of bubble-gum flavour.
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The Get Up Kids, On A Wire
(Vagrant)
2002-06-06 - Dave Heaton

Spun - With summer finally rolling in, dreams of road trips, campfires and hanging out by the lake are probably well entrenched into many of our heads. This change in season also brings about a change in the sound of The Get Up Kids on their latest album.

On A Wire has seemingly shifted slightly to the left, stressing more of their self-proclaimed "Midwestern Rock" edge. With nothing particularly outrageous or overwhelming on the album, a handful of strong tracks such as "Overdue" and "Campfire Kansas" show On A Wire may have just what it takes to help dreamers realize a memorable summer.
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Brothers Creegan, Sleepyhead
(Nettwerk)
2002-05-23 - Dave Heaton, Gauntlet Staff

Spun - With so many bands sitting in their repertoire, Andy and Jim C. of the Brothers Creeggan are no strangers to the music business.

Sleepyhead, the fourth installment of this co-sibling side project, takes a few steps away from their traditional lively sound and begins to venture into some of the gloomier realms of life. While the first tracks of the album depict various stories of love, goodbyes, beauty and falafels, the latter few tracks go off to paint dreamy illustrations of death, loss and darker days. If you're hampering for a heavy, lingering pop-folk sound, these two brothers may have just what you need.More...

Elvis Costello, When I was Cruel
(Island)
2002-05-16 - Dave Heaton

Spun - Being the socially pre-fabricated guy I am, it would be a flat-out lie to say I appreciate music before the so-called alternative era. So when I heard that Elvis Costello put out a new album, my lack of enthusiasm was more than apparent.

However, When I Was Cruel ended up in my stereo and I was more than shocked to find myself absolutely loving what I heard. I couldn't help but to groove along with his decidedly rock-pop sounding, jazz-sprinkled instrumentals and attempting to sing along to his sharp-edged lyrics, which seemingly touch on everything from love to lawyers to breaking from social mores. Costello's first single from the disc, "Tear Off Your Own Head," paints a vivid image with lyrics like "You can twist his body 'til it faces backwards/those plastic features." With a little well placed radio play, Elvis Costello may just open my generation to this sweetened new sound.
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