Customer Reviews

Social Dancing

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

YES.. this album will make you dance and sing and shout and have fun. That's the point of Bis. It's POP music. End of story. Excellent album, too bad the majority of people can't stomach the jangle tunes because the majority of this album is very likeable. Kudos to Mike D. for picking up these guys on Grand Royal.

Bis returns triumphant with a more mature, polished sound. This CD is significantly less gritty and in-your-face as "New Transistor Heroes," but the sound is more polished and pop-y, just like the Pop Music they try to inject some life and meaning into. Bis have also matured in the lyric department, with a cry for meaning in "Action and Drama," and a clever nod to Devo in "Young Alien Types." "Social Dancing" is a commentary you can dance to, and a fine addition to the CD rack of anyone who thinks pop music should choke on its own excess :)

The second full length album from the Glasgow, Scotland trio Bis shows marked growth in all areas: lyrics, vocals and musicality. The album is like a mixed bag of styles. There are harder, driving rock/punk oriented songs like Manda Rin's 'The Hit Girl', a trip-hoppy, Portishead-esque song, 'Detour', as well as their all out pop blasts like 'Shopaholic' and 'Action And Drama'. Again, Rin has one of the album's strongest songs...Equal parts whip-smart and witty, 'Social Dancing' is the best pop album of the year. All others can only pale in comparison to the burgeoning talents of Manda, Steven and John.

I was surprised when listening to this one, produced by Andy Gill (of Gang of Four). I know Bis has youth and energy on their side. All the more reason to hate them. But by the time you hear songs like "I'm A Slut" and "Eurodisco" you want to be jumping around the room high on E too. The enthusiam is catchy. I saw this woman stumbling on the corner of 10th and C this afternoon, high on some non-motivating drug. She obviously hadn't heard this Social Dancing record. This Scottish group is all about looking good and buying the right accessories. Even by the end, Social Dancing is inventive and doesn't let up. I know Bis has released many EPs in the past. I know many people wrote off Gang of Four when they came out with "Hard." Not me. Hats off to them for giving us a long playing delight!

(www.freewilliamsburg.com)

I bought this album because of a review, not ever hearing a single note beforehand, and I have to say it has become one of my favorite albums ever. This is a departure from the (...) on the radio. The sound is a cartoony-80's pop...and it's a perfect cd for long trips. Everyone I play this for ends up buying their own copy!

This is so great! I am really picky with my music, and I must say, "Social Dancing" is a must-have for fans of pop, electronica, or just downright fun music. Bis have really refined the sound of their music. While "The New Transistor Heroes" was the band's pure sound, "Social Dancing" is more refined and even. Wether it is the fast tempo of "Eurodisco" or the clever use of the violin in "Theme From Tokyo," Social Dancing shines. That's it!

I loved Bis' "New Transistor Heroes" and "Intendo", and now I'm pleased once again with cute-sounding, fun songs that are deep and mofo funny. I reccomend this CD to anyone who finds being taken seriously both a threat and a joy.

This obscure little outfit from across the pond knew damn well that they were never going to be more than a tiny blip on the music scene (and even that much only because of that once-in-a-lifetime Cartoon Network deal), so they decided to do exactly the kind of album they wanted, and to hell with the critics.

And wouldn't you know it, it worked. Although the 13 tracks have nothing in common and employ a multitude of styles, as has already been mentioned, it's a fun, enjoyable trip all throughout. My favorite tracks are the energetic Listen Up and the fairly hard-edged The Hit Girl, but it's all good. It's tough to follow the lyrics sometimes (um, what exactly did the shopaholic go for after the 7" heels?), but this isn't supposed to be anything deep, so that's no biggie.

If this was a seriously attempt to break into pop (and they say as much in the liner notes), it was a valiant attempt, and it's just too bad that nothing as edgy as I'm a Slut or Action and Drama could ever gain success in a genre that seems to forbid ever having any fun. If they just wanted a well-done pop/punk/dance album, well, mission accomplished. More than anything, Social Dancing shows that if you're going to have a short ride, what the heck, might as well enjoy it.

I had the good fortune to come across this album in a bargain bin at a local trendy and "indie-cool" used record store. I'd heard from a friend with (mostly) remarkable taste in music that the Bis are a band worth checking out. Actually, I had heard a couple of their songs before I even knew who they were: "Plastic People", and "Pop Star Kill", which I really dug, and I was more than pleased when I popped this CD in on my drive back home. This isn't even supposed to be their best album-- and, admittedly, I don't know too much about the Bis-- but it's damn good enough for me. Love it. They are a great fusion of poppy electronic music and interesting and quirky lyrics. (Many bands attempt to do this, yet fail miserably, and end up recording insufferable "teeny-bopper" tripe). This album is absolutely fun, yes, and "danceable" (the title doesn't delude), yet it has enough substance, style, and quirkiness to keep (or even captivate) the audiophile's attention, and for him/her to actually care about what they have to say. Another thing that strikes me about this band is their ability-- nay, their talent--to merge the female and male voices in their songs to create really unique and catchy harmonies. I played this album for my boyfriend, who adheres more to the "acoustic set", and he told me his honest opinion, which was something to the extent of the Bis' sound being that of a electrotrashy/eurotrashy party band. I was insulted, but he's more than entitled to his own opinion. One of his favorite musicians happens to be Chris Isaak, so I realize that I shouldn't take his assessment of the Bis' talent too seriously. So, basically, if you're into Chris Isaak, you might not like the Bis, unless your musical tastes are really diverse and all over the map. I think the song "Detour" is the best on the album; I find it absolutely intoxicating and enchanting and well, supercool. . . "I'm a slut" is irresistible. "Theme from Tokyo" is yummy. And although the Bis aren't (or at least don't seem to be) the most "political" band, one inclined towards social isues, "Sale or Return" nevertheless offers a sort of social critique, under the guise of a few layers of bubble gum. I highly recommend this album to anyone who has certain indie sensibilities, and who really enjoys original and quirky music. Or perhaps to "young alien types" :). . . I have to beg the age-old question, however, in relation to the genre of "pop" music: since the Bis could be categorized (or pigeonholed) as "pop", why oh why can't we hear stuff like this on commercial radio? Sigh. . .

In a perfect world, these guys would on top of the charts and would be getting the most requests on TRL. Unfortunately, they were recently dropped by Grand Royal. It's a shame, too; these guys were on the verge of breaking out. Their music is just as accessible as the more formulaic Teen Pop stars that rule the charts at the moment, but this music has far more depth. And far more exciting to listen to, too. I would even go so far as compare these guys with The Beatles (pre-Rubber Soul) in terms of their youthful energy and catchy tunes.

This album is their most eclectic to date, and it never repeats itself. The rougher edges of their previous work have been smoothed out and replaced with sonic exploration. Bis have really matured as musicians. Old fans need not worry, though; their energy is still intact.

If you enjoyed this album, a similar album worth checking out is Le Tigre's self-titled debut. It is fronted by Kathleen Hanna, formerly of Bikini Kill, a band that has influnced Bis. Taking a lyric from the song "Action and Drama", "Pop Music's not going to die/it just has no direction/we need a plot of action." Perhaps one day Bis will get their due.