Album Notes

The first time I saw Friends of Yours was in a showcase sandwiched in between a lame wall-of-noise band and several equally lame singer/songwriters. Despite it not being their finest hour (I think it was one of their 1st shows) I remember them standing out as the most unique and compelling act of the evening. And they've only gotten better every time I've seen them since.


Despite their rather cheery name, Friends of Yours music is a brooding, intense experience. Building on the increasingly common boy/girl duo popularized by The White Stripes or Juicifer they differentiate themselves by writing songs that emphasize dynamics over catchy hooks or pummeling riffs. Brian DiPippo's inventive drums and Lynn Simonds's sultry vocals (along with an increasing multitude of effects) combine and contrast to form a sound which touches on many genres without sounding quite like any of them. Forget conventional verse/chorus/verse song structures..Quiet hypnotic riffs suddenly explode in white hot fury before dying down into gorgeous harmonies. The effect is sometimes beautiful, sometimes frightening, never predictable.


Too many bands conform to trends hoping to make it- Friends of Yours have taken their influences, shaped it into their own thing, and play their asses off doing it too. I've seen them stop unsuspecting audiences in their tracks which is a better testament to their music than anything I could write here.. See for yourself.

-Bion