Russell Simins' band SERVICE previews debut album with clowny "Hey" video

The video for "Hey" off the Drag Me debut by Russell Simins' band SERVICE was shot by filmmaker Steve Hanft. Watch it below. 

Here's the scoop...

The SERVICE song "Hey" is about feeling out of step in a world that prioritizes “likes” and “follows” over in-person interaction and real intimacy. Most people are engaging only in a performative way and mostly via social media, as opposed to experiencing soul-to-soul, real life exchanges of art, philosophy, and creative ideas. We often feel left behind and alienated in this climate, but are proud of maintaining our integrity and commitment to our own vision. We never want to make this kind of complaint without doing it in a self-deprecating and humorous manner. (For example, Jilly sings, “In an age of affection, I’m the mailman.”) This high energy song with a big beat, chaotic guitar, and hooky chorus makes this kind of insecure confession into a damn fun rock and roll song. 

 

SERVICE is an urgent, howling, earnest rock and roll band, steadily cementing their reputation as a great live act, ahead of releasing their debut album, Drag Me (out Friday May 6 via Let's Pretend Records). Started in the Manhattan apartment of renowned drummer Russell Simins, SERVICE now lives in Indianapolis, home of the other two core members, Jilly Weiss (We Are Hex) and Mitch Geisinger. The band sums up their sound with the quip, “post-punk then punk again,” which reflects their smart, self-deprecating lyrics as much as the music.

 

Jilly is an iconic front person with the boastful confidence of Nick Cave or Mark E. Smith, combined with the sort of confessional sincerity of PJ Harvey. Mitch’s wild guitar manipulations recount the Birthday Party and Butthole Surfers with an array of effects the Liars would admire. At the helm from behind the kit is Russell Simins, best known best for his tenure in NYC staple rock outfit, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Simins’ uniquely hard-driving, powerful beats give SERVICE their huge sound.

 

The album is very much a guitar record, a two-guitar assault really, but the hard-grooving beats keep it almost danceably post-punk. Drag Me is certainly unorthodox, but has choruses that will have you yelling along - an audacious, swaggering rock and roll record that is about to put SERVICE on the map.

You can pre-order the new SERVICE album Drag Me on limited-edition black vinyl from Bloomington's Let's Pretend Records right here. Watch video for "Hey" directed by filmmaker Steve Hanft (Southlander, Return Of the Rub-a-Dub Style, Beck's "Loser") followed by a SERVICE performance of "Who Are You Anyway?" 

 

SERVICE on tour

05-05 The Spot, Lafayette, IN

05-06 Blockhouse, Bloomington, IN

05-07 Square Cat Vinyl, Indianapolis, IN

05-14 Village Green Records, Muncie, IN

05-15 TBA, Bloomington, IL

05-26 Healer, Indianapolis, IN

05-27 Caterwaul Fest, Minneapolis, MN

06-01 Northside Tavern, Cincinnati, OH

06-02 Happy Dog, Cleveland, OH

06-03 Buzzbin, Canton, OH

06-04 The Sultan Room, Brooklyn, NY 

06-05 Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY

06-06 Slash Run, Baltimore, MD 

06-07 Public Option, Washington, D.C.

06/08 TBA, Durham, NC

06/09 Pilot Light, Knoxville, TN

06/10 Green Lantern, Lexington, KY

06/11 Whirling Tiger, Louisville, KY

06/23 State Street Pub, Indianapolis, IN

06/24 Portal at fifteenTWELVE, Louisville, KY

06/25 East Room, Nashville, TN

06/26 Boggs, Atlanta, GA

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion @ Lee's Palace, Wednesday

Between glamour shoots and gigs, the members of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion get grilled by dudes in suits.

The Morning Pages go country-disco

Once hipster thift shops shops in Brooklyn started selling dead-stock western shirts, it wasn't long before local kiddos were picking acoustic guitars and dobros in country bands. And eventually, some clever combo was bound to hit on the profile-boosting concept of twangin' up a Lady Gaga tune for the dancefloor. I must admit, the Morning Pages version of Telephone is a much more enjoyable than anything Lady Antebellum has had played on the radio although I don't expect the BK beardos will be much competition at the ACMAs on April 18 – even with Russell Simins getting the production credit on the Morning Pages swank Rising Rain (Zealous) debut. Russell may be the shit in Billyburg but the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion never did carry much weight with the creased denim Music City crowd and trust me, they don't even want to know about Men Without Pants.

Telephone by The Morning Pages


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