The Elevator Drops

Pop Bus (Time Bomb)
by J. Lianna Ness

How can you not like a band who boasts “Lennon is dead… and I like it!” then ends the song with a sample of the very last note of “A Day In The Life”? If you read the news today (oh boy…), you’d know that The Elevator Drops are poised for praiseworthiness. The scary irony is that the overall sound, content, and vibe of Pop Bus (read it backwards if you haven’t gotten the joke already) reminds me very much of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s… and Magical Mystery Tour albums, along with the attention-grabbing, sensible pop sounds of Devo. Two outstanding tracks are “Elevator To Heaven,” with its rough and powerful psychedelic wa-wa guitar riffs, and the relentlessly catchy, driving beats of “Car” (pun intended). Although they prefer to keep their identities hidden under make-up and wacky costumes, bassist/vocalist Dave Goolkasian and drummer Scott “The Man In The Orange Suit” Fitts used to be in a band called Cartoon Factory (Dave has also produced stuff for Tracy Bonham), and guitarist Josh “Garvey J” Hager was in Backstroke To Cuba – both now-defunct Boston bands.

You’ll probably be hearing more about this band as they’ve already toured with The Rentals (I still refuse the option to buy). Live, The Elevator Drops fall into the must-be-seen-to-be-believed category. Picture Redd Kross-meets-Kiss at a rock ‘n’ roll carnival from Hell. Despite all the gimmicks and publicity stunts (they make fun of everyone and everything, including Kay Hanley and Evan Dando, nobody is safe, and they’ve been known to perform under the pseudonym “Letters To Leo,” nothing is sacred), the music is still what matters most on this impressive and colorful debut.