Brooklyn College Kingsman
Monday October 3, 2005

THE ARTS

Spankactular

Editor’s Pick of the Week

The Boroughs
Ostrich EP

New York has seen its fair share of bands. A hotbed of action, the city that never sleeps is constantly swarming with musical acts like bees around honey. Some are successful, like Interpol, some are failures, like Stillsuit (“Still-who?” exactly), and some don’t even belong in this town, like Ohioans Pere Ubu. But with the ever engulfing potholes of New York, there is one native band that’s standing strong: The Boroughs.

Coming out of the dusty streets of Queens, New York, Ryan Dwork (vocals/guitar), Grady Feldgus (drums) and Justin Farrell (bass/vocals), collectively known as the Boroughs, create a sound that is upbeat and edgy. Rightfully featured in the July issue of The Astoria Times, The Boroughs have already made a splash in the underbelly of New York City. They continue to be a living, breathing source of raw Rock & Roll energy, injecting us with their poppy, bounce around music, and their relentless presence serves them well. Their talents do not go unrecognized, as they were one of the bands selected to perform in Little Steven’s Underground Garage Rock Festival and Guitar World’s M.E.A.N.Y fest.

On Ostrich, they invocate the Gods of garage-punk, and although at times a bit mundane, the album is busty and rugged. On the title track, “Ostrich,” Dwork’s voice is nasally, backed by an array of power-pop tabs and slacker indie designs. Their track, “Trust Fund,” is oddly powerful, with pinching guitar riffs and turbulent drum sets, Dwork snarls “Trust Fund! Trust Fund! You’re not fooling anyone!” with apparent desperation, pissed-off and pissed-on by prep-school rich kids pretending to be schooled in D-I-Y.

Ostrich pulls together a sound that is, although not groundbreaking, spiked with their own twist. Taking influences from 70s punk outfits like the Ramones and the Clash, the Boroughs, who have graced the stages of venues like CBGB’s and the Knitting Factory, play to the beat of their own drummer. Their sound is plump with contagious rhythms, amusing lyrics and songs that are pounding with infectious beats, ensuring that Ostrich is sure to catch fire.

Catch The Boroughs at the Tribeca Rock Club on October 13th, and don’t forget to pick up their debut EP Ostrich, available at tower records
Annamarya Scaccia
Managing Editor