We kickstart our countdown of the Ten Best Albums of 2009 with the story of Givers. All of Givers' members hail from deep south Louisiana and seem to be either newly minted college grads, in the process of being minted, or of the age where you might assume minting. From what I can tell, they formed a band within the past year, drafted a few songs, and slapped together an eponymous EP debut. Givers' live gigs were so electric that one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the year asked them to go on tour. Givers accepted, came to the East Coast, and freakin' rocked it. I caught them in Baltimore, bought their EP (had to do it online; they sold out at the show -- it was their first time on tour), and blared their five songs in my car for a month straight. That's the story.
Givers' brand of pop music is so upbeat and happy that it teeters on obnoxious. They're like the little brother who finally gets to hang out with the older brothers, but who can't stop grinning and joking around and hamming it up just because he's hanging out with the older kids now. (By the way, I am absolutely that little brother.) Being from Louisiana, the band is infused with a Zydeco flare. The point is to wrangle you up and get you to dance, and it works. The music is wonderful and catchy, brilliantly beated and eclectic. Yeah, the boy/girl lyrical combo and the clap-along songs may seem a little goochiegoochiegoo, but it's just so damn fun. And, seriously, look at Tif Lamson, Givers' co-lead singer and multi-instrument extraordinaire.
She is so dang cute. She is the super artsy girl from high school, only if the super artsy girl was overjoyed instead of soul-crushed. At one point during a break between songs in Baltimore, Tif put down her drumsticks (she had been pounding out some tribal accompaniment), took off her jacket and threw it down beside her glockenspiel, pulled her hair back, and picked up a ukelele. I stood there, mouth agape, and said to myself, "We should probably go ahead and write up some vows or something."
I am hooked. Givers are happy people making happy music. To attempt to make anything else would be disingenuous. They'll be back in D.C. on Tueday, February 2, and I will absolutely be there. With a ring.
Below is a video of a live show. It's probably not suitable for work unless you're using headphones, or you have a trashcan nearby to tackle the motion sickness you're sure to develop. I think the crowd shots are pretty telling, is all:
Tenth Best Album of 2009: Givers, Givers EP
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