Bethpage Black - Black Music EP

 

I received the Bethpage Black E/P entitled Black Music.  Inside the sleeve with the CD was this note -


I read it and thought. “Well, that’s not exactly a slick and professional way to market your E/P.”   You see waveriders it may sound harsh but we reviewers at The Ripple Effect receive literally dozens upon dozens of CDs, LPs, E/Ps, singles, and downloads. All that music competes for our time, especially when we know little or nothing about the artists that submit the music.  Most of the time, unless it is apparent from the artwork or name, we don’t even know the musical genre of the submission.  Submitters, we reviewers are like little babies.  We cull through the submissions and give precedence to the shiny ones - you know, the ones with a cool “one sheet”, swag, album cover or promotional angle. Mind you we end up listening to every one of the submissions, but, our order of listening can be swayed by glitter.

I threw the E/P on the pile with dozens of other CDs, E/Ps, downloads and singles sent to me for review and there it stayed - for weeks.  Many an artist’s effort passed over my desk and Steve Coy’s submission of Black Music by Birthpage Black kept finding its way toward the bottom of pile.  However, I finally got around to listening to it and it looks like I owe Steve a letter.

Hi Steve:

    Thank you for the Bethpage Black - Black Music E/P and your note.  I must concede that listening to the E/P was pushed to the back burner.   It was not foolish of you to leave off band members’ names.  A little mystery in life makes a musical discovery that much sweeter.
I appreciate the link as it made it easy to find out more information about the band and release after I finally had the opportunity to listen to the E/P.

    OMG Steve!  Bethpage Black rocks!  You, singer Matt Carmichael, guitarist Devin Givhan and bassist Vivian Larena really have a knack for merging punk, pop and classic rock influences.  And the E/P, wow!  What a great effort.  I see a lot of modern popular music crossover opportunities in every song.  The hard “Clash-like” feel of the first track, “Lipstick Colony,” makes what follows on the other four tracks rather unexpected.  No doubt the heavy beginning on “Make Sure Hurts” threw me. I anticipated a much harder-edged composition.  However, it is really a great pop tune with beautiful harmonies and textures. In “I‘ve Got Friends” I hear a lot of that soft rock sound - reminiscent of Cecilio & Kapono, Dan Fogelberg, and John Mayer.  The lyrics are fantastic.  Simply beautiful - a country/folk rock crossover radio hit.   The track “Losing My Nerve”  is a great punk/pop/rock shuffle.  So damn catchy and well produced!  And the final cut, “Make Sure It Hurts,” - so different from the others - a driving punk pop sampled disco for the 21st Century.

Your band can play anything!  The picture of the band that accompanies their bio on their website is hilarious.  May The Force Be With You.

Steve, I do have one criticism.  Five tracks simply are not enough.  Send us more.

Thanks again and I am truly sorry for the delay in getting around to listening to and reviewing your submission. It is my loss. Had I listened to it earlier I would have been enjoying Bethpage Black that much longer.

Rock on!

- Old School

Losing My Nerve


Lipstick Colony