Album Notes

The Beatings create intelligent, guitar-driven art-rock, reminiscent of the early 80's heyday of college rock. Italiano is the 2002 full-length from this promising Boston band.

A fever-dream of post punk angst and sonic weirdness, the album makes good on the inaugural promise of The Beatings' DIY release, 2001's "6 Hz" EP. Recorded at three different Boston studios, and interspersed with lo-fi, home recorded vignettes, Italiano succeeds on all fronts in demonstrating the versatility of this young band, weaving its way from balls-out rock to pop melancholy, and into eerie, somber darkness. Italiano caught the ear of MOJO Magazine, the New York Times, and the Boston Globe, which called it "a jarring, surprising, ambitious album". Punk Planet said, "Call it aggro, indie, hell ,call it whatever you want, just make sure the word great is in there." The Washington Post ultimately hailed it as "Rock as art, not just fun" and picked Italiano as the fifth best album of 2002, between Norah Jones and Eminem.