Rocking "A Sleeping Giant"

Join me, friends, on my first foray into writing about music.

If you like punk/rock music, please, I'm begging you, check out The Growlers. Made up of Rob Carmichael (vocals, guitar), John Beaudette (Guitar, Vocals), Marc Beaudette (Drums, Vocals), and Chris Moran (Bass, Vocals), this foursome of friends from New Hampshire, currently residing in Allston, MA, are coming out soon with their full length album "A Sleeping Giant" featuring their single "Smashed" (download it here).

My decision to write a little blurb about the band, who if you don't look closely could be mistaken for their other and currently more well known band, Destroy Babylon - same great musicians, very different vibe - comes after perusing their facebook page and coming across this video of what I can only assume to be one of Rob's least favorite songs, but even the Stones and Springsteen have to play their oldest hits, whether they're the artists favorites or not. (P.S. Rob is the lead singer with the sexy rock leg (but he's taken ladies, by a very hot, awesome, bandaid rocker chick named Magellan, so cool down).)


The first time I heard "Harvard Ave", I loved it. Granted it was years ago in a basement bedroom with Rob, our friend Tom, too much Johnny Cash and my first foray towards the bottom of a bottle of scotch, but either way, the way Rob was able to capture the vibe of anyone who spent part of their twenties crawling the streets of Allston searching for more than just their way home blew me away. The song itself is a testament to how the band has grown and developed its sound over the years as it's been tweeked and changed lyrically and instrumentally. Harmonies have been added, verses rewritten and if you ask me, the final product is significantly better than the original, although the original will always hold a special place in my overly-sentimental heart.

Their new single "Smashed" is an extension of the new version of "Harvard Ave". It exemplifies all of the growth the Growlers have gone through. Rob knows how to write a good song, his verses are thoughtful and well written, his hooks are catchy and on top of that, homeboy can sing. "Unholy Ends" brings in just a touch of their Destroy Babylon feel through the accompanying horns, but not so much that you could ever confuse where the two bands are coming from. With that said, and those two songs released, I'm looking forward to an entire album of tight rock music.



You can catch The Growlers:

Friday Feb 6th at Fontana's in NYC @ 9pm

Thursday Feb 12th at Baseball Tavern in Fenway @ 1opm

and Sunday March 1st at Great Scott in Allston, MA @ 9pm



Also listen on facebook and myspace