Shake It Up, Live It Up, With Warm Soda

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 2, 2013 6:00PM

Photo by Matthew Reamer

Warm Soda falls into that category of bands you instantly fall in love with because they simultaneously sound timeless and so of-the-moment their music is irresistible. Based in Oakland, Calif., the band's sound is all leather jackets and late-night cruising. It's the sound of rambunctious youth pogoing in joy and not violence. CBGBs would have loved to get these guys in the door in '78 since they'd sound equally at home opening for The Ramones, Television or the Talking Heads.

Enough hyperbole, let's get specific.

Warm Soda's Someone For You kicks out its twelve tracks in 27.5 minutes, and that means there's not a weak moment on the whole album. How many debuts get to make that claim? Throughout bandleader Matthew Melton takes the punky angularity of his previous band Bare Wires and grafts it onto a mixture of bubblegum pop driven forward by drums constantly tumbling forward, pushing the concoction into territory so urgently sugary and biting it hits you right in the chest with a mighty thump. Take a listen to the band's "Jeanie Loves Pop" to hear just what this sounds like when perfectly executed. And then just try to get it out of your head. Good luck.

The band makes its Chicago debut this weekend at Space Club (yeah, we've never heard of it either, so it'll be our first time to that venue, too). This is the kind of gig you want to be at so you can brag to your friends that you "liked 'em before they blew up." Hey, don't take our word for it. Listen to the whole album below, and we bet we'll see you at the show!

Warm Soda play April 6 at Space Club, 3925 N Elston, 9 p.m., donations accepted, 21+