Imperial Teen Albums (5)
'The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band'
Release Date 8/21/2007
Tracks 12
Label Merge
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Imperial Teen's approach hasn't changed much since 2002's On -- or their debut Seasick, for that matter -- but The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band's kaleidoscopic indie pop finds them fitting into the musical landscape of the late 2000s easily. Kindred spirits such as the New Pornographers and the Brunettes have a similar flair for throwing together '60s pop, bubblegum hooks and harmonies, and slyly subversive, chugging cool descended from the Velvet Underground, but Imperial Teen have a breezy, almost blasé, way of making their words and music seem effortless. And though the album has its fair share of songs that sound like stylish, smart, but lulling background music on first listen, The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band reveals its catchiness gradually; tracks like "One Two" and "It's Now" manage the neat trick of being peppy and mellow at the same time. Even when Imperial Teen bust out the rock, as on the sassy, "hair-hoppin'" "Sweet Potato," the band does it with a unique restraint. This subtlety, and the band's fluent reinvention of pop's past, are the biggest signs that Imperial Teen are a group in their second decade. Just because this album is the work of a mature band doesn't mean that it's stodgy: "Shim Sham" could be from an older and wiser B-52's (but not too old or wise to cut a rug). "The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band," which recounts how Imperial Teen's members spent their hiatuses, plays like the Archies entering their midlife crises. The band gets even more archival on tracks like "I Love Everything," a wry homage to Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, and the excellent "Fallen Idol," a piece of meta-pop that bobs along on jaunty pianos borrowed from the collected works of Elton John, Paul McCartney, and Al Stewart. "Do It Better," which could've easily appeared on Seasick, and "21st Century," a collage of pretty melodies, artfully splattered guitars, and nostalgia for what used to be the future, dig into the more recent past (likewise, Anna Waronker and Steve McDonald's co-production credits will give fans of '90s alt-pop and power pop a warm, fuzzy flashback). Taking a five-year break would be career suicide for a lot of bands, but Imperial Teen's extended vacation was a risk that paid off: The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band is a grower full of grown-up pop. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In the liner notes to Live at Maxwell's, Imperial Teen's first live album, there's a mention of frontman Will Schwartz singing Blondie's "Union City Blue" in the tour van. That reference couldn't be more appropriate because three albums in, Imperial Teen haven't settled so much as they've found their groove, and it's in a highly inventive, melodic, and original blend of the same type of sassy new wave that Blondie perfected more than 20 years prior. But while the band sound great on record, they're a fairly captivating live presence -- partially because the four jockey around on instruments, and partly because Schwartz is a bit of a loose cannon -- and this album captures the band at one date on their much ballyhooed summer tour. Aside from the occasional bursts of guitar white noise, there's little to separate most of the versions from the albums, but it's interesting as a portrait of a band at the top of their game. The set list also cherry picks most of the highlights from their three albums, making it an ideal introduction for anyone not yet familiar with this often fantastic band. ~ Jason Damas, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Opening with a thrilling new version of the previously vinyl-only "Ivanka" and the chaotic stop-and-start stomper "Baby," On begins like any other Imperial Teen album. A pop-perfect hybrid of Top 40, punk, glam, and new wave, that one-two power punch could have easily fit on either of the California foursome's first two near masterpieces, 1996's Seasick and 1999's What Is Not to Love. When the band launches into the album's third number, "Sugar," however, even longtime fans may be surprised by the new direction. Trading in the insanely danceable rock beats of "You're One" and "Year of the Tan" for more mid-tempo, keyboard-driven pop-lite compositions, Imperial Teen is clearly evolving into a group of subtler, more nuanced songwriters. Which, despite occasionally sounding light years removed from the full-throttle pop/rock of its previous output, doesn't mean that On fails to live up to the exhilarating heights of its predecessors: Relentlessly hummable and teeming with beautiful girl/boy harmonies that most bands only dream of, these 12 '80s-tinged tracks simply see the band fine-tuning its singalong songs and, in the process, securing its reign at the top of the pops. ~ Jimmy Draper, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Imperial Teen's debut album, Seasick, was a very critically successful set of indie-pop, and it was an album that many felt would be hard to replicate. Replicate, however, is exactly what Imperial Teen does with their second album, What Is Not to Love. Every bit as strong as their debut, What Is Not to Love finds Imperial Teen avoiding a critical sophomore slump by sticking strongly to their formula and returning with a strong batch of songs. This time around the band has more pop emphasis and stronger tunes, for the most part, although there is a bit more of a dark, biting edge. The first single, "Yoo Hoo," may sound very similar to "You're One" (from Seasick) at first glance, but "Yoo Hoo" is much more tense, and the vocals have a much angrier, biting tone. This change in attitude is representative of much of What Is Not to Love, but it's far from a negative change. Other high points include the sarcastic gender bending pop gem "Lipstick," and the mellow, brooding "Crucible." What Is Not to Love shows that Imperial Teen is not merely a side project for former Faith No More keyboardist Roddy Bottum, but rather a notable band in their own right. ~ Jason Damas, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Anyone expecting Faith No More's fractured art weirdness was in the wrong place with Imperial Teen, but those with an ear for attractive, quietly wry pop/rock that didn't give a care for being alternative in the '90s' marketable sense will find Seasick an enjoyable debut. If anything, "Imperial Teen" itself sets the scene at the start with its distinctly Velvet Underground-circa-third-album chug, lyrics softly sung directly into the mic, a bit of feedback fire here and there, and bemusing lyrics discussing everything from gay identity to the band's name itself. Things aren't always so relatively polite, with more immediately aggressive songs cropping up and vocals often taking a stronger turn. However, their spirit and sass is more trashy fun rock with glam/punk roots than, say, Seattle-based fog or incipient nu-metal hash, though there is definitely a Pixies vibe on songs like "Blaming the Baby" and "Balloon," among others. Partially this is due to the constantly traded-off male/female vocals; though Bottum is doing most of the lead singing (though the credits acknowledge all four members doing just about everything), Perko is right there with him. Then there are the moments where the guitars fire up more along with some of the screaming -- one can go on, but it's refreshing to get a sense that the bandmembers learned this directly from Surfer Rosa rather than Nevermind, for instance. Bottum's eye around gender and sexuality defines the lyrics without overtly ruling them (thus a song like "Butch," with lines like "the prince wants to be a queen"). In the end, Seasick is in many ways the lost Breeders album after Last Splash -- brash, sharp-edged, taking no crap, and having good fun while doing so. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
