Northeast Ohio needs people like Brandon Abate, lead singer of Living Stereo. He's an erudite music aficionado with an insouciant swagger that belies a determined DIY ethos and refreshingly honest perspective on the local music scene. When his former band Sidecar parted ways in 2004, he spearheaded the formation of a band where "60s garage meets The Jam and Elvis Costello." It hasn't been all fun, though that's the goal.
After numerous lineup changes, an original Living Stereo came together in 2007: Abate on vocals, Brent Ferguson on guitar, Brian Contento on drums, Jeff Deasy on bass and Don Depew also on guitar. Abate had known Ferguson since high school, and met Deasy through mutual friend and Melt owner Matt Fish, who had previously drummed with Deasy as part of Lives of the Saints. "Brent knew Don from when he used to run 609 Studio. Before being in the band, he had tracked a few songs for a demo for us," says Abate. "Apparently he thought enough of the songs to later want to be in the band, which is cool, 'cause Don is a bit of a legend in certain circles – though he'll roll his eyes if you tell him that." That year, Depew oversaw the recording of Introducing Living Stereo at Cleveland's Metrosync Studios, the former sound studio of WHK studios at 5000 Euclid Avenue, a suitable site for the band's neo-garage rock sound. Abate finished overdubs and vocals at his home, and Depew did the final mix from his couch. "There is a general agreement [among the band] that all rock and roll that happened between the mid 60s and early 80s covers all the best things that happened in the genre, and that era is where we keep our inspiration," says Abate.
The album is bursting with clear influences: the sly Thin Lizzy–esque dual guitar work of "Dance"; the Mod-Freakbeat fervor à la The Birds, Pretty Things and The Creation on "Soul 67"; Paul Weller would approve of "In My Head" and its anthemic jangle. "The first record (Introducing Living Stereo) sounds a bit more like a 70s guitar power-pop record because of the dual guitar dynamic, and the fact that both players weren't afraid to let loose," says Abate.
"Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!" takes the Costello influence and ramps it up with a bit of The Undertones bubbly punk character, complete with giddy organ lines. "The organ parts are very much a nod to classic, simple lines like the one in "96 Tears" [by ? and the Mysterians]; it's almost like a second vocal," says Abate. "I always liked how in the song 'Stammer,' the organ part is the vocal hook." To wit, there's no catchy chorus or sing-song refrain. Instead, Abate's coyly stuttering vocals, stamping drums and a blister of classically toned distorted guitars tear through a track thats main hook is supplied by the reminiscent sounds of a Roland Vintage Synth module that delivers "very convincing Vox organ sounds." Avoiding gimmickry, the band uses it judiciously. "We never tried too hard to crowbar the instrument into every song," he says. "That was the nice part about not having a dedicated keyboard player." The album took a year to complete, and while pleased with the final result, the process left much to be desired for Abate: "The process was long and boring, and we promised ourselves not to ever let a record take that long to make again." Two years later, Depew left the band, leaving a more raw four piece. "We actually started to sound more like the original concept I had in the beginning."
