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THE FORMULA
There are plenty of "garage" bands on the scene, but few take the label as literally as the young men of Toledo, Ohio pop-punk out fit We Are The Fury. "We still live at home -- we make the rounds practicing in our parents' garages," confesses lead singer Jeremy Lublin, 24. Camping out at their ancestral homes has it perks, especially when the boys come home from being on tour for months at a time. "I still love coming home to my mom's cooking," says guitarist Chris Hatfield, 24. "But even though we're not in high school anymore, I still feel like I need to sneak inside at night when I've been out drinking." Thanks to five-plus years playing high schools and local clubs, WATF has secured a devoted following back home, and with release of their infectious debut album Venus, (out May 22), they're making a bid to kick certain high-charting emo bands out of the limelight. "There's still a lot of emotion in our songs," Lublin says. "But we're coming from a more fun approach. When you go to an emo show there's so much whining -- I can't guess why they're writing such depressing songs when backstage, they seem to be having more fun than we are."
SOUND A mix of late-80s cock rock bravado (shag haircuts and neck scarves included) and Freddie Mercury's fey-strut, capped off by Chris Hatfield's wily guitar riffs and Stephan Lublin's frenetic drumming (especially noteworthy, considering the younger Lublin, 21, was born with genetic condition that shortened his left arm and deprived him of a thumb).
DON'T MISS THE BUS: While in Austin for music fest South by Southwest this year, Hatfield ended up ditched by his band mates at 3am, drunk and without a clue of where they were staying. "We have a rule," says Lublin. "If you're 20 minutes late, we leave you." The hapless guitarist ran up a $180 taxi bill trying to find a hotel with an available room. Finally, his friendly cabbie took pity on him. "He dropped me off at his house so I could sleep," says Hatfield. "Then he only charged me for half the fare."
MUST-HAVE TRACK: "Now You
Know"
The first single off Venus is a stomping, piano-tinkling
glam fest that simultaneously preens and thrashes.
WHERE TO HEAR IT: Hit up the band's MySpace page or their official website to hear more tracks. You can also catch WATF opening for Men, Women and Children now, or get a glimpse of their set when they join the Warped Tour this summer.
SEE THEM NOW: Watch adventurous foodie Stephen Lublin and his bandmates sample the curious culinary offerings -- bull penis and cow brains, anyone? -- of NYC's Chinatown.
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