About two weeks ago, I attended the Phillips Head CD release party at Heritage Hall in the Glens Falls Civic Center. Since then I have been trying to figure out exactly what I should write about it. I'm not sure I'm the right man for the job.
I like singer/songwriter types. Most of the time I listen to guys like Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, and Paul Westerberg. I'm a fan of intelligent, introspective and usually depressing lyrics. If you've ever heard Phillips Head, you can see where the conflict lies.
They sing songs about, well - nothing really. Lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Jason Irwin seems concerned exclusively with girls, beer and girls. Listening to Phillips Head is sort of like tapping into the mind of a typical 17 year-old male. Never mind that the average age of the members of Phillips Head is somewhere north of 30.
All that being said, people like Phillips Head. They're fun and funny. You've got to get a kick out of songs with titles like "You're So Ugly" and "Old Enough For Me." My favorite is "You're Too short To Play Guitar." I am a 5'6" guitar player.
If this sounds like a negative review, it shouldn't. I may not relate to the lyrical content of Phillips Head's songs, but that doesn't mean I don't like them. Even if it did mean that, Jason wouldn't care. He's already got an answer for any of his critics. He makes his intentions as a songwriter perfectly clear in the song "Poser Rock." He says, "I'll dish out what you want to hear, as long as you serve me free beer." Rock on.
By the time you read this, Phillips Head will already have played in their Wednesday, Sept. 26, benefit for the Disaster Relief Effort with fellow bands C-TOE and King's English at Tilley's on glens Street in downtown Glens Falls. Although I didn't learn of the event in time to promote it, I thought it important to let you know what your local rockers are doing to help. There will be another benefit on Saturday, Sept. 29, at Humbuggs in South Glens Falls, featuring After Colony 3, Sfear, Acoustic Trauma, The Skenesborough Renegades, and my band, The distractions. Hope to see you there.
Reprinted from The Chronicle, Thursday, September 27, 2001