CMJ Madness: The Next Clap Your Hands?

It can take a lot to get New York's indie-rock lovers to schlep across the East River. But Missouri band Somebody Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin — whose catchy, hook-laden tunes remind us of early Weezer — have already won their share of fans. And from the headbopping and foot-tapping that their their sunny twee-pop sound inspired, the crowd seemed satisfied to have made the journey for the foursome's CMJ performance last night. The boys seemed unsure of themselves onstage at first: Except for occasional asides like, "This is for anyone who's from Columbia, the country or the city" between songs, they kept audience interaction to a minimum. Endearlingly awkward for the first part of their set, the guys loosened up halfway through when three of the four members rotated instruments. With a long-winded (and painfully of-the-moment) name and some more experience, SSLYBY could well be the next Clap Your Hands.

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Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

More Song Stories entries »

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