从2002年末到2003年,成军未满3年的爱尔兰都柏林五人乐队The Thrills,以其环绕美西岸阳光合声旋律的民谣摇滚,初出道两张单曲即有前20名的佳绩,还得于老摩Morrissey点名赏识而为其演出暖场,且处男专辑So Much For The City不仅在专辑销售上只落于The Darkness后一位,更获得英国音乐传媒Q杂志[最佳新进乐团]的大赏,The Thrills虽然风光却无骄气,不但努力巡回累积歌唱实力,同时也为了乐团的第二张专辑做好准备。 不过才1年多的时间,乐团第二张专辑Let's Bottle Bohemia就以更成熟的面貌出世,主唱Conor Deasy的嗓音虽减去不少青涩,但原本就属于沙哑音域的他或许更适合沧桑的味道与风情,这成长的一面可在Not For All The Loves In The World这首听出,回忆于过往还多了份弦乐上的层次,而原本就有的健琴音色,在慢板节奏下更为突出,反而有了种情节奏感的浪漫点缀。而上张专辑的优异表现也为他们挣来不少大牌乐迷,纷纷替此张做嫁跨刀;例如REM的吉他手Peter Buck在歌曲Faded Beauty Queens玩着清脆曼陀铃的自在写意,也在另一首The Curse Of Comfort快意地弹奏吉他;而在The lrish Keep Gatecrashing里找来海滩男孩的御用制作Van Dyke Parks为其乐曲编排,那份在夏日出游的开心,从60年代至今依然没变。 The Thrills从来就不属于现今任一种乐风潮流或气候,从使60年代的音乐影响如何在他们身上根深蒂固,但那份美好却有如呼吸空气般地清新自然,纯真朴实的流行质素更是The Thrills征服乐坛的不变利器。One of Bostons most popular bands during the first wave of punk, no doubt in large part due to singer Barb Kitsons commanding voice and punky-starlet looks, the Thrills formed in 1977 out of a loose confederation of local scenesters. Kitson, a DJ at the influential college station WMBR (where according to legend, she was the first in Boston to play Anarchy in the UK), hooked up with bassist Merle Allin (brother of shock-rocker G.G.), drummer Mike Collins, lead guitarist Sean McDonough, and songwriter/guitarist John Carmen, whose preferred stage name of Johnny Angel betrayed his love of classic 60s pop. Weaving Spector-esque influences into primal Ramones-style punk, the Thrills were among the best bands on the fruitful Boston punk and new wave scene of the late 70s. Their first single, Hey! (Not Another Face in the Crowd), remains a local favorite, appearing on Rhinos Mass. Ave.: The Boston Scene (1975-83) and other comps.In 1980, due to conflicts with a New York band of the same name, the Thrills changed their name to City Thrills and released a 10 EP under that name in 1981. Much poppier than their earlier work, the City Thrills EP prefigures the pop-punk sound of the Muffs, Cub, and other 90s bands. City Thrills broke up shortly after that release. Angel went on to form the Blackjacks, Army of Bozos, and the Swingin Erudites while developing a career as a rock critic. Allin joined his brothers band, the Murder Junkies, and also was in the original lineup of the Cheater Slicks. Kitson played a few solo shows during the 80s and recorded several tracks with Boston scene patriarch Willie Alexander later in the decade.