Shake the Baron

As the rumor goes, in 2007 first day college students Andrew Oedel, Matt Addison, and Max Currier bonded and became friends over a "common love of good music and bad beer"...something I'm sure we can all relate to (must've been Keystone or Natty).  They chilled, they raged, they played awesome music.  Over time, the "acoustic jam sessions" and "impromptu sing-a-longs" that occurred amongst themselves became "collaborative songwriting sit-downs" and "electrified noisefests"; but it wasn't until this year that the three of them added a second guitarist, Jon Markson, to complete their outfit.  A few months following the addition, they signed with Super Duper Records, recorded their debut album Shake the Baron, and then received help with mixing from engineer Justin Gerrish, who has also worked with bands like Ra Ra Riot, Vampire Weekend, and Weezer.  That is certainly not a bad resume to be working with....and it's only befitting that Shake the Baron should work with someone like Gerrish, for their sound does bear a close resemblance to a mix of Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend, combined with a touch of power pop...like Weezer perhaps?   I was very impressed with the debut Shake the Baron, a 10-song assembly of fast-paced, fun, and refreshing indie pop tracks that call you back for multiple listens.  It's definitely worth acquiring the album and giving it a listen or two, and I'm excited to see what they have to offer in future efforts.  Below I have posted two songs from the album; one is their single "Zodiac Name", where you can clearly hear the Vampire Weekend influences, and the other being "Seafoam Sofa", which has distinct comparisons to Ra Ra Riot.  Have a listen:

 Zodiac Name

 Seafoam Sofa

For more info you can visit their MySpace here or their homepage, which is located here.