Bad Astronaut Houston, We have a Drinking Problem (Honest Don's) By: Erik Holmlund Pop-punkers who are into indie rock. Citing influences such as The Posies (who are covered here) and Grandaddy, Bad Astronaut try to reach beyond the limitations of punk rock. And for the most part they are successful.
Its hard not to be reminded of Lagwagon when you hear Joey Cape's voice, especially on "Single" which could have come straight off of Lagawagon's last album. But Bad Astronaut comes off sounding like a real band, not just a side project for these guys. Synthesizers are everywhere, piano is interspersed throughout and if you listen hard enough, you can hear John Popper's harmonica. A couple of real standouts on this album are "Clear Cutting" and "Break Your Frame". They manage to bring the band's pop sensibilities to the forefront without resorting to pop-punk. Probably not cool enough for most "indie rockers" because of the ties to Lagwagon and Sugarcult, but definitely worth taking for a spin. I'll give it a B+.
Pop-punkers who are into indie rock. Citing influences such as The Posies (who are covered here) and Grandaddy, Bad Astronaut try to reach beyond the limitations of punk rock. And for the most part they are successful.
