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The Phantom Tollbooth
Now here’s a group that defies classification. The Shut-Ups are all over the map on It Hurts to be Seen, combining ska with '80’s pop rock, electronica, '60’s harmonies, goofy humor, and quirky titles to come up with a very entertaining package.
The closest sound comparison I can make is to cross This Train with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. “What’s a Booty?”celebrates the un-hip nature of its protagonist, failing to realize that the disco generation of yesteryear has passed, and has given way to the hip-hopsters of today. It combines country strains with electronic beats, a combination that seems untenable, but they pull it off.
“Don’t Know Why” and “Baby” mix Barenaked Ladies-like lyrics with a Hall & Oates sound. “Stupid Sissy Boys,” an inspired shot at the boy band culture, shows elements of Beach Boys/Beatles style harmony. “Edgar the Nothing” and “Sneed,” a tale of a childhood encounter with a burdensome person, recall Jellyfish at their best.
It Hurts to be Seen requires you to bring your sense of humor, but also reminds us that humor is often a smoke screen for the pain that lies underneath. A fun album in every way.
(Brian A. Smith)
Lance Monthly
Fronted by Don Condescending, who also writes the songs, The Shut-Ups channel their frustrations and anxieties into their music with humor and ease. By no means is this Atlanta, Georgia band afraid to confront their fears and ridicule folks to which they're not exactly partial. For example, "Stupid Sissy Boys" attacks the boy-band phenomenon of a few years ago; "What's a Booty?" charts the story of a shallow truck driver hoping to find answers to love and life in nightclubs; "Various People" hurls a heated swipe at a hypocritical, self-righteous woman set on saving the world; "Too Late for Disco" mourns the demise of disco culture; and "Sneed" dials back to the days when the most pathetic kid in class would cling to you like a sponge.
As for the band's music, it's just as fascinating as the lyrical content. The Shut-Ups proudly wear their influences on their sleeves, meaning they mine the power pop and new wave sounds of the late seventies and early eighties. You'll hear snatches of Joe Jackson here, a hint of Elvis Costello there, a dash of The Fabulous Poodles here and a pinch of The Jags there. But The Shut-Ups are really not your typical copycat act. Their ideas are original and their approach is individual enough to hold its own ground. Don's phrasing is utterly clever and cool. Cheesy keyboard fills, twitchy rhythms and hooks that are pointy and precise round out the band's forever catchy material. "It Hurts to Be Seen" is indeed an accomplished effort, crafted by a band primed for a bright future.
(Beverly Paterson)
Flagpole
Best Local Albums Of 2003
The Shut-Ups have managed to perfectly blend both Athens and Atlanta by virtue of solidly produced, guitar-driven pop. The professional attitude of the Atlanta scene is present, but so's the mischievous nature of Athens. It Hurts To Be Seen combines the stylistic virtuosity of The Joe Jackson Band, the humor of The J. Geils Band and hidden gems worthy of songwriters Greg Kihn or even Graham Parker. A great sophomore effort. (Gordon Lamb)
Creative Loafing
The Top 40: Local CD Honor Role
Clever and well-crafted new-wave pop that knows how geeky it is and doesn't care. (Roni Sarig)
Fufkin.com
When Don Condescending (the alter ego of Atlanta native Christopher Snell) speaks, it's usually in the perfect pop vernacular of the new wave circa 1982 and most likely it has to do with an issue of early adolescence. Condescending is the creative force behind The Shut-Ups, and with a backing quartet at the ready, he has launched a fully formed second album.
There are a lot of possible musical reference points here, as Snell really has done his homework. He knows how to craft catchy music with a comedic edge, something akin to what the group Blotto did ages ago (only more sophisticated). There's also a bit of Devo, Talking Heads, the irreverence of They Might Be Giants and Jonathan Richman as well as a healthy dose of almost any new age group of the early 1980s in the sound, while Condescending admits to admiring the work of the Mael brothers (Sparks) and The Kinks, among others.
The other Shut-Ups are Ben Spraker on guitar and vocals (he's also a member of Ceiling Fan), record label owner Steve Libbey on more guitar, Thaddeus Thompson on bass and Darkis Knight on drums and percussion.
The opening track "Various People" is infectious as ever in its exploration of culture clashes between a simple guy (Velveeta Cheese, Garth Brooks) and his desired complex creature Jane (Derrida, The Cure, various important good causes) who wears black. Luckily, they share the common bond of pimples - can love follow?
The dilemma of a trucker turned nightclub dancer is the realm of "What's a Booty?" Seems the man is somewhat perplexed by the term, though he knows "it mends the broken heart / It heals the soul and it makes you smart / It sates the urge for something greater than yourself."
The softer strains of the catchy music are as subtle as the normal guy narrator's hidden secret in "Day-Glo Underwear." Snell and bandmates do a fine job with little musical nuances and harmonies that hook you in.
Less successful, but no less fun, is the raw "Teenage Man," expressing the know-all hubris that accompanies those years. "Baby" is a cute little ditty that explores sibling rivalry from the stance of toddler to new arrival, vying for their mother's affections.
"Don't Know Why" examines the age-old mystery as to why the desired one seems to prefer the clueless brawny guy over our well-informed devoted reason-toting brainy guy.
Lyle Bufkin guests on bass here, and Darkis Knight does a nice job with the percussion on this pretty ode. A similar stance (regular guy versus libertines, scowling punks and others) permeates the song "Permission."
More often than not, the songs are told from the viewpoint of a lonely, frustrated young boy. One on the brink of alleged suicide bemoans the unfair world and, most specifically, the horrible boy bands that girls love in "Stupid Sissy Boys." This song serves up some Beach Boys, as well as some Brit-pop references. Another young and lonely is miffed by his situation and ready to give up on love and more in the poignant title track "It Hurts To Be Seen."
Kids can be cruel, and this is made apparent in "Sneed," a tale of one asked by a teacher to look after the troubled outcast - the horribly meek and useless Sneed. He is put-upon and tries to exact his revenge in a very "Uncle Ernie-ish" fashion: "I like to play with him / Make him hurt himself a lot / Steal his Oreos / tie him in a little knot."
Snell skewers Herman's Hermits' "Henry The Eighth" and similar Brit-pop ilk in his charmingly light "Edgar the Nothing (I Am)." This fake-accented failure of a royal figure tries to reign over a subway train, and revels in his nothingness.
It's a mid-life crisis at work for the salesman singer of "Too Late For Disco." Living as a "man without a God," he realizes disco is never coming back and listens for the nostalgic "ghost of '79," back when he was good-looking and fun. Ouch.
It's a thin line between amusement and annoyance, and one listener's pain might prove another's pleasure. The Shut-Ups can cross that line at times, but overall this is an enjoyably delightful musical romp, well-produced by Snell with help from Jason NeSmith (who lends an instrumental hand as well).
If you liked the new wave music of the early 1980s and have a sense of humor, you can't go wrong here. It Hurts To Be Seen is easily heard, often witty and occasionally sincere. Condescending (Snell) and The Shut-Ups are quirky and fun, with a fine melodic sense of what makes songs stick in your head. In other words, you don't have to be a young, lonely adolescent geeky nerd to identify with and enjoy the songs here. (Gary Glauber)
SLABmusic.com
The first band to win that had a song about Day-Glo Underwear!
The SLABMusic.com Band Of The Month for December 2003!
Since the 80's, I've always been a big fan of XTC. And it's been funny to see how many bands have copied that style and some even unknowingly. The first was a local band back in the day called JJ Swimming. But the vocalist who was a spitting vocal image of Andy Partridge from XTC, hadn't even heard of the band. Now comes The Shut-Ups. The Shut-Ups are quite a bizarre band with very unusual hilarious lyrics which one doesn't even need to hear to know that they're strange. With song titles on the "It Hurts To Be Seen" album like What's a Booty and Day-Glo Underwear and Stupid Sissy Boy, it becomes immediately apparent that the CD isn't going to be your average usual foray into the norm.
Whipping out great upbeat riffs very reminiscent of British pop, this 5 man band rips through 13 tracks of strange oddity. What's even stranger is that it works so well and that the project was able to find 5 members that believed that insane tempos and off the wall lyrical content could be the ultimate recipe for success. Using catchy phrasing and melodies and even going farther to actually design intricate vocal parts including sweet harmonies probably couldn't work for anyone else using the exact same ingredients.
The entire album is very "beatle-esque", but more XTC than anything if only because of the chord structures, harmonies and modern sound of it all. You'd expect songs like Day-Glo Underwear to be nothing more than a silly attempt for a cheap laugh. But you not only get the benefit of that laugh, but intelligent content and even more obviously well-constructed harmonies. And that's pretty much the picture for the entire masterpiece of an album. Brilliant songs like Baby that's about a battle for Mommy's love between two siblings, one of which is new to the home. Then the story of a truck driver who decides to try to change his redneck ways to be a hip nightclubber only to find himself asking the question, "What's a booty?"
And the list goes on with other great storylines woven throughout the 13 tracks. And while some are more inventive than others, the big picture is a great local album that will most likely find its audience well after its intended time frame. So if you like bright, pop music with quick witted lyrics, wonderfully catchy hooks and harmonies, but also tend to appreciate bands who actually have learned the craft of their respective instruments, then this is definitely for you. It's sun roof down, happy, riotously funny music put together by 5 incredible musicians and it deserves the band of the month award for accomplishing all of it without even having to wink-wink-nod-nod. (Chris Horton)
F5
With a sound that owes more to 1982 than 2003, the Shut-Ups not only recapture the magic of new wave but they dig deep with humor-laden songs that are as memorable for their melodies and their earnestness as they are for the laughs. Opening with the bright-eyed loser-in-love "Various People" and closing with the for-better-only wedding vows of "Don't Go Insane," It Hurts to be Seen may very well be one of the most consistently funny rock albums of recent years.
This Georgia-based quintet spends a lot of time focusing on what might be adolescence (or adolescence extended beyond reasonable limits into adulthood), as it does in "Sneed," the tale of a boy who's life is ruined by having to sit next to the class freak, or "Stupid Sissy Boys," a death-to-boy bands rant. But there's time for adult matters as well, such as parenting, dealt with in the, er, tender "Baby." ("I'm the cute one in the house, little baby/All you do is burp and grouse, little baby.")
It's hard not to love the tale of the trucker turned funkster ("What's A Booty?") and it's also hard not to appreciate the fine harmonies of "Don't Know Why," which feels like a less serious version of John Hiatt's classic "She Loves The Jerk." It's also hard not to feel for the guy in the title track ("I once kissed a girl, but I'm told it was kind of a joke") while holding your ribs.
(Jedd Beaudoin)
South of the Mainstream
What if 60s pop had a sense of satire? THE SHUT-UPS answer this question quite nicely with their record It Hurts to be Seen, a combination of crafty songs
with craftier lyrics. Every cut of this record deserves a close listen because
the songwriters have a knack for fooling with our expectations. A song like
the opener "Various People" sounds harmless at first, but upon inspection
reveals a quick-witted satire on love and singleness. The music is strongly
routed in the 60s, but without feeling tired or played out. The SHUT-UPS end
up coming across like a retro THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS or perhaps a more talented RUGBURNS.
Each song has a unique individuality, often reflected in the music which
sometimes mirrors the sentiments of the vocals (like "Sneed" or "Too Late for
Disco") and sometimes juxtaposes them, like on the album's most clever
track "Stupid Sissy Boys." The song is about a down-trodden teen wanting to
commit suicide, yet he is continually distracted by his sister's boy-band
music, which throws him into an adolescent rant about how they suck. It's a
great set-up, complete with happy-sounding synth beats to boot. Other
highlights include the QUEEN-like anthem "Teenage Man" and very BEATLE-esque "Edgar the Nothing (I Am)". The vocals often sound soft and inviting,
especially when doubled on tracks like "Permission" and the arrangements are
all pretty neat-o. If you are tired of not having fun when you listen to music, put down the emo and pick up a little SHUT-UPS.
Not Lame
A most interesting blend of late 70's/early 80's new wave pop that throws in lots of classic Squeeze ("What's A Booty" is totally in the spirit of "Take Me I'm Yours"), bits of Sparks, Gary Numan, Wilson-ian Beach Boys, Martin Luther Lennon cum Jonathan Richman and lots of mid 70's glammy pop, the kind Rodney Bingenheimer would have been all over. It's a wondrous pastiche of styles that simply blends into 13 excellent pop nuggets, easily chewed, digested and to put a bit of weight on. "Shut-Ups frontman Don Condescending knows his way around a pop song - and not just in the way lots of average indie-pop bands recreate Beatles and Beach Boys sounds. He writes with the craft of someone obsessed enough to have spent the last 20 years deconstructing catchy songs, studying the conventions of the form. It Hurts To Be Seen, continues to mine new-wave pop geekery, but with far more sophistication and polish than its predecessor. It won't change the world, but this smart, fun, confection of a record deserves to be heard."-Creative Loafing. "combines sounds reminiscent of The Joe Jackson Band, The Paul Collins Beat and The Brains"-Flagpole. Our Kind Of Trail Mix, extremely cool 'n fun! Very Highly Recommended!
ATL Magazine
It is unclear whether these guys are nerds or if that is all part of the gag. What is clear is that they are a hell of a lot of fun. They're also the most popular response from the rest of the field for big time success. Too bad they were selfish and wished none of you the same.
Creative Loafing:
DO-GOODERS EVERYWHERE: Take heart, good people, in knowing that your local musicians and music companies, intent on making the world a better place, are participating in all sorts of worthwhile causes. For instance, take Southern-rocking favorites the Drive-By Truckers. Just in time of the holidays, the band is auctioning copies of its Decoration Day CD, signed and personalized to the buyer, with the proceeds going to the buyer's choice of charities. The autographed disc -- featuring tracks such as "Heathens," "Your Daddy Hates Me" and "Loaded Gun in the Closet" -- makes the perfect stocking stuffer. E-mail jenn@drivebytruckers.com for information.
But, of course, the best charity starts at home. That's why Don Condescending, leader of smarty-pants new-wavers the Shut-Ups, has designated his band's Nov. 14 show a benefit for the college fund of Zoe Condescending, his 5-month-old daughter. The 10 High gig, he says, will be a "Baby Release Party" modeled after the CD release show for the Shut-Ups' most recent album, It Hurts to Be Seen. "People seem to like the CD," Papa Condescending says, "but nothing opens the pocketbook like a cute baby."
Somewhat counter-intuitively, anyone arriving at the show before 11 p.m. and carrying a baby picture gets $2 off the $5 cover (that's no way to raise money). But then, Condescending adds, anyone who donates $10,000 or more gets to be an honorary grandparent, "with similar visiting privileges."
We wish the best of luck to young Zoe for her future financial independence and send this message to her enterprising dad (and anyone else thinking along the same lines): If we didn't really like your band, there's no way we'd indulge this cheap publicity stunt.
(Roni Sarig)
Southeast Performer
(Review of first album in October 2003 issue)
Prepare yourself for an assault of soda popped tunes. It's sweet, it's punchy, it sizzles while refreshing your ears and taking you back to simpler times. The Shut-Ups will excite and charm the little smart-ass kid sleeping in those too cool, brooding rock-n-roll types. The self-titled release from the Athens band is a must-have in your collection of awesome music. This bubbly frenzy is the work of frontman Don Condescending also known as Chris Snell. He seems to have blended 30 years of pop into a stylish contemporary sound. Not quite the geek rock most people came to know in the band Weezer but instead something more innocent and sincere. Mr. Condescending is an impressive wordsmith who sells sophomoric ideals with a comical flair. Although the tone of the CD is light-hearted and sarcastic, the songwriting is a brilliant sampling of pop music history. Built on the influence of Buddy Holly, the Shut-Ups run on childlike energy to pump up songs like “Go Daddy Go,” “They Don't Wanna Play,” and “I Think I'm Dumb.” Then there are tracks like “Still Living at Home” that shimmers with the Brian Wilson glow of echoing harmonized vocals as well as the Beatles pep in the playfully obscene “Richard Hell.” All the while these songs dwell on the hope and dream of being forever young, cynical, and smart as a whip. If you are into witty, funny, and imaginative narratives, then you have got to invest in the Shut-Ups. (Monica Arrington)
Altar Native
Everything on It Hurts To Be Seen is all play and no work, and therefore, this is no dull album. It's clear why The Shut-Ups are in the music business – they like to have fun. They worship "Day-Glo Underwear" to a tuneful ballad. They revel in reminiscing a bygone disco era, and by track 11, there can be no mistaking this band's intentions – they actually wrote a song called "Too Late for Disco". "What's a Booty?" is the veritable anthem of this album and leaves no doubt that this is the distinct progeny, the "love-child," if you will, of The Beach-Boys, Cher and Cheap Trick. Think tongue-in-cheek humor of They Might Be Giants, but with more musicality.
Catchy pop hooks all begging for attention, pleading, pulling at mama's apron strings like spoiled little children, the songs on It Hurts To Be Seen can be annoying, yes, but they're just so damn cute, how can you resist? (Alicia L. Koledin)
Roctober
Nerdy Power Pop in the International Pop Overthrow vein, this is clever and bouncy and despite the name I shan't shut up but shall rather shout "more, please!" (Jake Austen)
IMPACT Press
Ready for some fun? Put away all the political mumbo-jumbo and just sit back and listen to the Shut-Ups. They play fun geek pop, a little less loud than the BN Ladies but quirkier and just as fun. If those two bands were on the same gig it would be the funnest show in the history of music. OK, maybe that's a bit brazen but it would be REALLY fun. They play geeky and they're proud. (Waymon Timbsdayle)
The Flagpole
12 Steps To The Stars: Athens/Atlanta band The Shut Ups will be presenting their symposium 12 Steps To Rock Stardom on Thursday, Oct. 16, over at Tasty World. Symposium and Shut Ups leader Don Condescending has a plan for you, your band and even your friends with this one. He will assist the crowd in writing their own three-minute pop songs, hold a pop quiz and demonstrate how to pit Athens against Atlanta, musically speaking. According to Condescending, "Year after year, Athens continues to produce more talented musicians than perhaps any other town on the planet. But this shining city has not vaulted an act to superstardom in well over a decade. What was once (and only once) a pathway to success has long since become a highway to hell...Those who do not attend will be treated as though they have committed artistic suicide, and their memories will be wiped from the history of rock and roll forever." I think he means it, folks. Also on hand that night to assist your personal growth will be Mad Happy and Twilight Children.
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