Quick-hitters:: The Stance

I was scrolling through the lineup for this year's Sappy Fest - which we will talk about in great detail tomorrow as I take a trip through Sackville - and seeing The Stance listed triggered my memory. Their 2006 EP - The Stances Shall Inherit the Earth! - is a nice slice of crunch that is heavily influenced by the garage rock revival when North American acts out their spin on the 60's British Invasion sounds. One listen to Somebody Call the Law and you can't help but think about bands like The Kingsmen or the New York Dolls as you are transported to Detroit watching people in matching, tight leather jackets (or suits) and shag haircuts rock out.

But it's not 1960, it's 2008 and these boys are from Halifax, Nova Scotia. I remember when I was first heard this EP, I liked it, but with the influx of garage rock bands I was kind of tired of hearing the same style played over and over again. I can only handle so much moxy and strutting from front men and while garage rock is killer, it gets sames-y when everyone is trying to put their spin on a two-minute song (and bands like Mando Diao and the Hives were played everywhere you went).

Flash forward to now, and the EP actually sounds much better to me. Most of the garage bands have gone the way of the dodo (or at least their fans have), so listening to the tracks with some punch and rough edges is a nice change of pace. The songs are heavy in cockiness, which makes you want to keep listening to Mark MacAulay's snotty vocals, and the crunchy riffs forces you to dance. They try some cool things, like the nice blues harmonica on Impossible, Baby! and the noodling and harmonies on I Need a Reason and this helps The Stance put their stamp on the songs without losing the familiarity you crave from the genre. Seriously, the energy never slips on the EP, not even for a note.

What are they up to now? Well, I'm not sure (other than playing Sappy Fest - which judging from the recorded tracks, should be a pretty rocking set) and talking about recording a full length. For now, enjoy some of the EP.


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