Customer Reviews

Pickin' Up The Pieces

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

.....hey, how come all my reviews get 5 stars?....because i only review stuff that knocks me OUT!!.....these guys (and gal) have it NAILED DOWN, sharp as a razor Motown vibe completely punched up to a whole new level of amazing......whether you're talking musicianship, vocals, songwriting, presence or just cool clothes, this band delivers much more than you bargain for at every turn.....excellent mix of songs (some dance, some ballads, some r&b) makes this album one of the very best i've heard in the past year......you're gonna love it....i already got tickets to their next show (have heard they're really great live)......can't wait!

~~~~~ UPDATE November ---- going to catch them this Saturday for their 3rd show this year in Chicago, a party not to miss!!.....they're on a damn fine trajectory (how sweet it is) with t-o-n-s of talent, good old-fashioned hard work and just keeping it real.....you wanna know the difference between art and entertainment?..... entertainment fades away, while art only gets better and better......new album for 2012, guys, i know you got it in ya....

Is it too late to buy stock in these guys? I saw them in concert in Chicago in mid-February having heard only one song (the infectious "Moneygrabber") previously, and I loved the show! They're very tight, very personable, and their music is a wonderful blend of Hall & Oates and Motown's finest.

"Moneygrabber" is one of my favorite songs of the past 5 years. I really like 6 of the other 9 songs, and the other 3 (the slower songs) aren't bad. All in all, one of the most auspicious debuts in years.

To really get a feel for this band's sound and flair, check out their "Moneygrabber" video on YouTube.

I hope the band gets a break like being on "Late Night with David Letterman". I know Dave and Paul would love 'em, and I think most of America would, too.

A great record you can listen to from beginning to end. When was the last time you did that? Jumps out of your speakers because it sounds so different. Love the cuts: Moneygrabber, Pickin' up the Pieces, and Mr. President. Noell's vocals are wonderful -- she brings a lot to the party. What I like most is it's different, fresh, - a treasured gem mined from the wasteland of American Pop music today. Finally! A great "time capsule" album for 2011. Had never heard of them. My husband serving in Iraq heard them in the middle of the desert listening to the AF radio network... and thankfully sent me the record because I'm from Philly. Those reviewing claiming it sounds like Hall & Oats - Daryl Hall all but handed this band his torch while he sang MoneyGrabber on Live @ Daryls house - it's an awesome jam with the "blue eyed soul" master himself. Check it out!

I've often heard of Fitz and the Tantrums being described as too mainstream for the hipsters, but not trendy enough to break mainstream. It's completely true. Which is a sad testament to today's music industry.

All I have to say about this album is that it is the best new album I've heard in the last two years. Arcade Fire hasn't made anything good since Funeral. The Brit explosion of a few years ago (Lily Allen, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand) has slowly ground to a disappointing halt. The top 40 radio music is worthless. This album is a gem. Great music. Dancable. Great lyrics, whether political or typical romance.

If you like music, buy this now!

This is a great band!

I love each of the songs in this album.

MoneyGrabber and L.O.V. are awesome!

I really hope this band can continue making such great music.

I consider myself a rock-music fan, like disturbed, rise against and such, but this band is just simply awesome I love the soul/funky/pop genre they have created.

There was only a problem when transferred these songs to my iPod, for some reason "Breaking the Chain of Love" would not play in my iPod at all, (but it plays in my computer without a problem). I don't think this is Amazon's fault because I also have the same song downloaded from iTuns and same issue happened. So What I did was I opened the song in Audacity and the re-exported it to MP3 again and transferred to my iPod, and issue solved. You can do the same with any other song in fact if have similar issues.

Fitz and the Tantrums is a fresh new mix of soul and pop music. If you enjoy 60/70 soul, this album is the best thing you'll hear this year. Electric organ and saxphone drives the sound and it is impossible to sit still thru up-tempo cuts like "L.O.V.", "MoneyGrabber", "Breaking The Chains Of Love". Slow grooves like "We Don't Need No Love Songs" are in the best blue-eye soul tradition.

I'm certainly hoping for a long and successful career for this new band, they are good!

Stumbled accross these guys (and gal) while surfing the channels and stopped on "Live At Daryl's Place". What I hear with this band is infectious Rock and Soul music. If I had to pigeon-hole this genre I'd say, "Hall & Oates/Vintage Motown and a Splash of 1980's NEW WAVE, unmistakable cheesy organ and ever so slight quirkyness to some of the songs. I'm completely infatuated with this album, in short, very accomplished musicians, exceptional vocals and well crafted songs. Standout titles include: "Winds Of Change", "Moneygrabber", "Breaking The Chains Of Love", "Tighter" and the title cut "Pickin' Up The Pieces". Stunning first effort.

A fantastic debut album by Fitz & The Tantrums and, I have to say they are the best new American band I've heard in years ! They're upbeat, fun, melodic, and infectious. Nobody really sounds like them out there now. I especially love 'Don't Gotta Work It Out', 'Dear Mr. President', 'Breakin' The Chains of Love', 'Money Grabber' and 'L.O.V.' Look for their cool and inventive covers of The Raconteurs' 'Steady, As She Goes' and 'Sweet Dreams (are made of these)' not on this album. Both deserve to be on their next album. So buy this album in confidence as it's an excellent, solid album from start to finish.

Fitz And The Tantrums may be a new band, but the origin of the California sextet is due to being industry veterans. The lead singer Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick got his start as the engineer for producer Mickey Petralia (Best known for his work with Flight Of The Conchords). He assembled a band that included former lead singer of The Rebirth Noelle Scaggs, and session musicians Jeremy Ruzumna, John Wicks, Ethan Phillips and James King. It was then he christened the new band with a name that was a play on words (Get It? Fitz And The Tantrums?). From there, they recorded an EP "Songs For A Breakup, Vol. 1" in August 2009. They signed with the independent record label Dangerbird Records and released their debut "Pickin' Up The Pieces" a year after their critically accalimed EP.

Though there is an overwhelming influence of 1960's soul and pop music on this debut, it's more along the lines of the early 80's based piano driven new wave. The band harkens back to a sound that is more reminiscent of bands like ABC, The Style Council and Hall & Oates. The album starts off with the first single, the breakup centered "Breakin' The Chains Of Love". They demand the attention of a political leader about social issues on "Dear Mr. President", while leading into the heartbreak lament title track "Pickin' Up The Pieces"- which features a rare lead vocal from Noelle. Fitz delivers a kiss off to a gold digger on "MoneyGrabber", while working an uptempo dance rhythm on "L.O.V.". Fitz sings with acerbic wit on "Rich Girls" and close the album with the ballad "Fighter". While most of the songs are rather upbeat, most of the album focuses on the topic of heartbreak and the demise of a relationship. Fitz And The Tantrums' "Pickin' Up The Pieces" is a great- albeit brief- debut from this band, and will instantly make a fan out of the most staunch music critic. If there is any indication from this debut, people will be hearing a lot more from them.

First track to last track, Fitz has got it goin' on. Really one of the most fun albums I've gotten in a very long-time.