Underappreciated Geniuses, vol. 6: The Shazam

The first time I saw The Shazam was at Sparklefest 2004, a long-running Raleigh-based pop music fest that unfortunately pulled up stakes following Sparklefest 2006. Thanks to organizer Mike Nicholson and his fine taste in bands (as well as his ability to persuade them to perform for very little), that event also introduced me to the Rachel Nevadas, Cliff Hillis, and the brilliant Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass Kicking Team, among others. In the rush of taking in so much new music, I have to admit that The Shazam only registered half a tick on my consciousness. I remember that they were loud as hell and that they all had 70s shag haircuts, and that I thought they looked and sounded a lot like The Sweet.

Then in early 2006, I got my hands on a copy of their 2003 album Tomorrow the World, and I quickly became a diehard fan. The album opens with the wonderfully cheeky anthem "Rockin' and Rollin' with my Rock and Roll Rock and Roller," a far better take on its familiar theme than, say, Kiss' "Rock and Roll All Night" or a thousand other similar songs. That track begins a run of five songs that, if released on their own, would probably constitute the best EP of the new millennium to date. The highpoint is the glorious "Gettin' Higher," a paean to the futility of pursuing rock and roll stardom and rock and roll skirt, but each of these five tracks belongs in heavy rotation on every classic rock station in the country. The album loses a touch of momentum from track 6 on but remains strong all the way to the finish line. Fans more devout than I swear that their 1999 album Godspeed the Shaam is even better, and I may someday come to agree, but right now Tomorrow is the one I'd recommend.

What should you expect if you take my advice and get a copy? A band that draws copious inspiration from Cheap Trick, The Sweet, and Todd Rundgren, for one. A lead singer with a perfect pop voice, clear and sweet when it needs to be but perfectly capable of communicating an ironic wink or sarcastic snarl when necessary, supplemented by the requisite two-part backing harmonies, for another. And great songs written by a guy with a gift for guitar-based hooks and even hookier vocal choruses, as well as a great bag of tricks that allows him to add all sorts of nifty surprises to his song structures—an extra measure here, an innovative turnaround there, and other sorts of geeky songwriting stuff that sparks delight and admiration in geeky songwriting guys like myself.

The Shazam reportedly are putting the finishing touches on a new album. With any luck, that means they'll be touring sometime soon. Keep your eyes peeled for them, because unless you live in Nashville the opportunities to see them are few and far between, and they are a tremendous live band. They performed the penultimate set of Sparklefest 2006 and tore the house down. They were followed by The Upper Crust, who were also tremendous. If a festival has to close up shop—and it's heartbreaking that this one has—that's the way to do it.