ViV - s/t

Name: ViV
Album: s/t
Year: 2000
Style: American Rock
Similar Bands: TPOT USA, Fastball, Semisonic, Better Than Ezra, Third Eye Blind
"One-Word" Review: Sedated Radio Rock
Based Out Of: San Francisco
Label: Ten Toes Over

Booklet Cover & Back

Lyrics, CD, CD Tray

Lyrics Case Back

Lyrics

ViV (2000)

1. Life Preserver 4:08
2. Too Good To Be True  3:09
3. Crooked Smile 5:08
4. Waiting 4:57
5. Green 4:32
6. Say Goodbye 4:40
7. Smiles Like a Maniac 3:23
8. Floating on a Cracker 3:54
9. Funny How You Wear Your Heart 4:58
10. I'm So Tired of You 3:25
11. Shawn 2:52

Album Rating (1-10): 8.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Matt Ostrander - Producer, Vox (Blue October)
• Erik Semo - Bass (Highwater Rising)
• Mike "Pie" Fiorintino - Guitar, Violin (Somos, Meltdown)
• Matt Lucich - Drums (Shaolin Temple of Boom, Bonfire Madigan, Alice, John Bobek, Carolina Liar, Late Pierson, The Gitas, Calico the Band)
• Eamonn Flynn - Keys (Liz Kennedy, Rob Strong, The Commitments, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Evelyn Champagne King, Darryl Anders Agapesoul, Lea Mcintosh, The Cinders Blues Band)
• Justin Dobrin - Keys
• Dawn Richardson (4 Non Blondes, Loud Family, Pussy Tourette, Martinis, Kindness, Penelope Houston, Jenifer McKitrick, Go Go market, Lillix, Trinkit, Holly & The Italians, Kitty Rose!, Wild Stares, Toby, Kandur, Zoe Fitzgerald Carter)
• Kathryn Chase
• Tia Label
• Karen Rose
• Jeffrey Wood - Producer (Housemartinis, Elisa Waut, Luka Bloom, Penelope Houston, Katherine Chase Band, Todd Herfinfdal, Irina Mikhailova, Zoe Fitzgerald Carter, Foreign Affair)
• Lisa Keating - Photography
• Steve Dorian Minor - Photography
• Stuart Locklear - Photography
• Kelly Sweet - Photography
• Jen Greenhalgh - Photography
• Acedesign - Album Design

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, and not sure where I picked up this CD. From the looks of the film strip images of the band, it seems like they were trying to fit into that comfy radio friendly 2000's pub rock taps into power pop vein. A little hard garage-y, a little in your face, but not really: typically not my favorite, repetitive, nothing sticks out schlock.

Album Review: They have a catchy, streamlined rock-pop sound, with non-aggressive pop-punk chord changes, harmonies and some power-pop elements. At points it feels like they could launch into a n OTP rocking section, but often they fall back to let the harmonies breathe. As the album progresses, the influences increase, and alt-country is added into "Crooked Smile." There is a bit of a silent break on the last track, before a short violin + hand clap performance of Turkey in the Straw

Starting in San Fran, they worked out a Monday night ritual into a road show, where they showed independent short films between sets, not to mention a visual show behind them when they performed.

Stand Out Track: Too Good To Be True

Links:

Discogs

Allmusic

Broadjam

LastFM

Vail Daily

Viv photos - Jessica Brandi Lifland / Flickr

Youtube album playlist