Look, I’m all for homages/attempts on hitching one’s wagon to a trend…but Vivian Boys??? Seriously? It would be one thing if they only took naming cues from a certain other Vivian band. Like, if they played folk music or made dubstep, this all would be a lot less of an issue. Thing is, they make fuzzy garage rock. HMMMM WHO DOES THAT REMIND YOU OF.
OK, there exist fundamental differences between the two bands. Vivian Girls draw more inspiration from girl groups, while the Boys take a lot of cues from punk – which is to say, the Boys sound way more loose than the Girls. Especially on the scuzzy “Tarantula, I Love You” which just begs to be dropped into a grind house movie trailer. A bit more on the pretty side is the more overt 60’s throwback “Sisters, Tears, Hell” which allows the group’s one female singer a shot at the mic. Though Vivian Boys still make it sound abrasive as possible. Listen to these not-quite-copycats here.