Sex Execs - s/t

Name: Sex Execs

Album: s/t

Year: 1982

Style: New Wave, College Radio
Similar Bands: Talking Heads, Tears for Fears+English Beat, Bram Tchaikovsky, Boys Brigade

One Word Review: Overproduced Jitter

Based Out Of: Boston, MA

Label: Self Released

 Sex Execs: Cover & Record

Sex Execs: Back & Record

Sex Execs (1982)

1. Tami-it-is 2:20
2. Your Whole Life 2:01 /
3. Martini Time 3:39
4. Supply & Demand 3:22

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other bands:

Paul Kolderie - Producer (Goober & the Peas, producer of too many bands to note)

Dan Johnsen

Andre Barnaby 

Sean Slade (Uncle Tupelo) (many more projects)

Walter Clay

Ted Pine

Lee Z Toft - Trumpet

Paul Mufson - Producer, Engineer

John Nagy - Mastering

Steven Stone - Photos

Klare Hollender - Asst. Engineer

Brian Ales - Asst. Engineer

Danda Stein - Asst. Engineer

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of this band. But from the picture on the front of this EP, they look like a cocky-smart new wave college band with extensively clever use of sax and brass. 1982 is a good year for this style of music, so I can only guess the music is pretty catchy yet quirky, with a dose of angsty emotion.

Album Review: So these guys are basically responsible, after the break up of the band, for the very famous Fort Apache recording studios, and after it moved, still ran/run the original location, revised to be called Camp Street Studios. They also were follow up finalists in the 1983 WBCN Rock and Roll Rumble., but ended up losing to an at-the-time up and coming band ‘Til Tuesday (Aimee Mann).

“Tami-it-is” kicks in instrument by instrument, starting with a strumming guitar and a drum beat. The vocals come in about 30 seconds in, reminding me a little of David Byrne. There are a lot of minor notes and angular melodies. The song is very driving with a jittery nervousness.

“Your Whole Life” is a little more straightforward of a pop song, but it is still fast in a 33 played at 45 sort of way. The song is a little more slick, adding a little Tears for Fears style in the vocals.
“Martini Time” Has a more new wave feel to it. The Tears for Fears smooth vocals float over the music, which possess a dialed back nervous tempo. It is a danceable song, in line with David Bowie’s “Golden Years.”
“Supply & Demand” starts off with a devo-jittery start stop guitar and drum off beat pairing. The sax is used as a great melody accent. The song feels like it is building up to a nice relieving chorus. The bridge of the chorus is actually a stronger, catchier hook than the chorus, which is repetitive and simple, and works as the climactic come down from the bridge.

This is a fun EP, but something about the production makes it feel cold and sterile. I wanted it to be better than it was, and I bet they were better live than what is represented on the EP.


Stand Out Track: Supply & Demand

Links:
Sued51's Blog

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Cambridge History Bio of Jim Fitting

Either Orchaestra - Russ Gershon

Fort Apache Studio - Wikipedia

Paul Kolderie Wiki