Boys of Now to Rock Ministry

OC Grads Bring Unique Brand of Angular Pop

Oberlin College breeds rock stars. One need not look back very far in the recent history of the College for a sizable list of success stories, and if you think Liz Phair is the only on, think again. The list of stars of the indie underground with an Oberlin pedigree is long, including noise rock kings of New Jersey, Rye Coalition, members of Seam and Tortoise and the Sea and Cake. Now add to the list the duo of drummer Sara Marcus and bassist Ginger Takahashi, OC ı99, who together make up Boys of Now.

Boys of Now might not have the college radio fame of some of their predecessors yet, but in the relatively short history of the band, who began just over a year ago while the two were seniors, Boys of Now has made a name for themselves in the Philadelphia underground. And by appearing with Le Tigre and the Need, releasing a 7² on Heliotrope Records and using the distribution machine of Heartcore Records, Boys of Now is only gaining more momentum.

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These are the faces of the post Oberlin underground: Boys of Now bring angular pop to Ministry (photo courtesy Boys of Now)

Things started to pick up for the band after their graduation in the spring, when, after a few months off, the duo moved to Philadelphia to write and record new material and get ready to hit the streets. Through constant gigging and word of mouth the band created a buzz around themselves and in April released the fruits of their efforts with the Not Ready for Prime Time 7².

With the Not Ready For Prime Time 7², Boys of Now puts the most official chapter in their catalogue. Fusing a unique brand of striped down pop and dynamic instrumental and vocal textures, Marcus and Takahashi constantly work to transcend the limitations of their sparse instrumentation through incredibly heartfelt songwriting. In fact, the songwriting could be sighted as one of the key factors in the growing reputation that Boys of Now are now starting to enjoy.

If the foundations of Boys of Nowıs success lie partially in their ernest songwriting, another definitive characteristic of the bandıs sound that has helped them gain recognition is the originality that goes into structuring their music. Anything but predictable, the bandıs sound is one of intricate structural changes that depend on the extraordinary interplay between Marcus and Takahashi as instrumentalists. Thus transforming the limits of sparse instrumentation into an advantage, Boys of Now challenges their audience with unexpected melodic and formal turns which are able to overcome the tambural limitations of a bass and drum duo.

After a ceaseless regional tour in the Philladelphia area, Boys of Now are coming back to their alma mater to perform a set at the Ministry (36 E. Lorain). Looking forward to perfroming for friends and former school mates, the band will revisit their old stomping grounds to perform with the Kurt Mask.

Joining the raucus trio for the basement show at Ministry, Boys of Now continues to stay true to their DIY roots. For those fortunate enough to be able to catch the show, Boys of Now are sure to deliver on the promise of their reputation for smart pop and unexpectedly delightful suprises.