In 1978, Belfast punk band The Undertones released the single “Teenage Kicks,” which gave voice to youthful sexual feelings through distortion, choral repetition and created a history that lives to this day. With a much more alt-rock sound and elements of punk, the Toronto-based rock duo of brothers, Pete and Jeff van Helvoort, are aware of musical legacies.
“The Beatles already did it so I might as well get stoned,” they sing on “Digging Up Old Bones,” from this year’s 10-track LP, Spoils of Youth. “I told you, ‘Stop chasing them ghosts.'”
On Tuesday at The Seahorse, Teenage Kicks will get off on performing a heavy mix of nostalgia and forward-thinking, with combo-vocals that blend into a mature sound. Much like the brothers of The Undertones, the two hit balance with the right amount of punk-kid attitude. Just after the Pop Explosion, Teenage Kicks head off on a North American tour with The Ataris.
Teenage Kicks w/The Flatliners,
Single Mothers, Outtacontroller
Tuesday, October 21, 10pm
The Seahorse Tavern
$15
This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2014.
