• Home
• Music
• Entertainment
• Design
• Books
• Technology
• Help/Environment
• Wellness
• Life Banter

Except, well, this band is Lawrence, Kansas-based and so maybe we never left Kansas at all Toto.

The New Amsterdams came out rocking in the year 2000. We don't hear much about them, but I'm not sure why. They're on the Vagrant label and have none other than Matthew Pryor, formerly of The Get Up Kids, as their main man. Pryor released a side project album earlier this month on April 10th and it's a disc filled with 15 children's songs. Pretty nifty.

Don't be turned off by the fact that there is a "Get Up Kids" influence here. I know some people refer to the Kids as an emo-punk band and that label isn't always taken well. That's not the label I would give to The New Amsterdams. They have more of an indie pop sound.

The band has remained pretty active over the last seven years, putting out six albums. Unfortunately their last album Story Like a Scar wasn't received well by critics or even fans for that matter. The disappointment was because their earlier albums were so much better. My favorite album being Worse for the Wear which came out in 2003.

So when I saw they had a new album out this week I was curious. But then I found out it is just a double-disc of their earlier work. Sorry, but I'm not much for re-releases. But if you're a huge fan I suppose you'd make sure not to miss buying the special dual disc collection "Killed or Cured."

You'll find them on the line-up for Chicago's Lollapalooza this summer.

Take a listen:
The New Amsterdams - "Drinking In The Afternoon" (mp3)

Buy their albums!

Labels: music