BANDS:

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Virginia, North
Carolina, & DC

Teenage Girls:Initial Assault LP: The Art of Friendship

Teenage Girls are four guys from Pennsylvania.  This album was recorded by Bret Alexander and Paul Smith from The Badlees ("Angeline Is Coming Home").  Teenage Girls are now playing acoustic shows and gigging with The Badlees, which would lead you to believe that theyre one of those cheesy roots-rock bar-bands that are all too popular in PA.  Thankfully, you would be wrong.

Teenage Girls dabble in pop-punk, skirt the outer boundaries of emo, yet are solidly grounded in indie rock.  Witness the brutal hijacking of Sebadohs "Beautiful Friend" in the opening of "Kissing Ugly Boys (in callow fields)."   "Exactabox" sounds too similar to Archers Of Loafs "Telepathic Traffic" to simply be coincidence.  In fact, the first time I spun this album, I figured that these guys must be huge AOL fans.  Apparently I was right, because the secret-hidden-song on this CD is a cover of "Web In Front" (though it lacks the raw energy of the original).

For all their ranting about critics and the music industry, Teenage Girls seem eager to cash in and get their piece of the pie (theyre playing shows with The Badlees for Christs sake!).  Something about the delivery here just doesnt seem genuine.  They lack the honesty of the indie rock that inspired them.

If this band has one thing going for them, its the lyrics.  Theres some big words in here.  Big for rock and roll anyway.  Most pop-punks have a fifth grade reading level, but the Teenage Girls have at least earned their GED.

Bottom line:  this wasnt a bad CD, but now that Im done reviewing it Ill probably never listen to it again.  Thats just the way it is.

This album can be purchased atCD Baby

Teenage Girls Official Website

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