Imperial Teen

Having spent 14 years pounding the keyboards for Faith No More's big grunge-dirge sound,
Roddy Bottum is finally letting his inner popster sing. The feeling of release is contagious as
he spews hooks, harmonies and choruses on the exhilarating debut from his new band,
Imperial Teen. But this San Francisco quartet doesn't offer just sugary, squeaky-clean fun:
Seaside begins with a languid T. Rex groove that shows how pop can be as dirty (... More >

Coy about their Faith No More link, which leaves no mark on their hand-crafted jangle-pop. Not so coy about their gay subtext, which--well, as they say themselves, "our subtext is our plot." A painful one, too. Postgrungers who mistake their cheery surface for happiness either aren't listening or expect too little of life. Sweet and sharp and sometimes mean, they're still feeling their way toward a personal identity as they establish a musical one. And that felt quality makes their jangle-pop come alive. (Grade: A-)