1,2,3
Pittsburgh, PA
Girls, Deerhunter, Nurses
It’s a welcome relief these days to hear a band that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it is that exact lack of seriousness that makes the music of 1,2,3 a serious pleasure to listen to. As easy as a,b,c, the freewheeling, lighthearted, genre-hopscotch of their songs creates an immensely appealing atmosphere, combining old and new in a way that doesn’t sound stale or factory-made. The sheer joy in hearing Nic say, “fucker,” before “Confetti” kicks into gear is enough for me, personally, but treats like that abound with these guys. Listen to them. It’ll be good. You can count on it.
In one of those easily relatable stories, the two driving forces behind 1,2,3, Nic Snider and Josh Sickels, met in a bank parking lot during a junior high skateboarding session. They played together in a variety of bands before forming The Takeover UK in 2004. Reduced to a shambolic state by their label overlords, the duo needed to reconnect to the joy of music and decided to go back to square one, forming 1,2,3 in 2009. Oddly, success for 1,2,3 came about due to a takeover of the UK, with Chess Club Records releasing their first couple singles and earning them some radio play overseas. A deal with Frenchkiss followed, and they released their first album, the joyous New Heaven, last year. They recently self-released a tidy EP, Dreamland Pt. 1, and are currently touring with live band members Mike Yamamoto and Chad Monticue while working on songs for their next album, which, if I had any say (I don’t), would be released within the next twenty seconds. Also, if you have any interest in buying them a van, you can do so through their Kickstarter.
Best track I’ve heard in months. Thanks for this.