Johnny 9 and the Racers
Open Up Your Ears

When I first heard Johnny 9 and the Racers’ newest single, “Open Up Your Ears,” I was shocked – in a good way. Ever since I first heard these guys in the summer of 2004, I’d loved their live show, but their recordings up to quite recently didn’t compare. However, this new tune had exceptional recording quality, tonal accuracy, and mixing, and I contacted the band to get my hands on their newest release, Open Up Your Ears, as quickly as possible. Retaining the vibrancy and catchiness from their first demo and combining it with the professionalism that’s consistently apparent on stage, J9 has certainly done well for themselves with this new release.

The first tune of the release, “Somebody Else,” is an extremely up-tempo third-wave track with an exceptionally tight rhythm section, which is completely consistent with the entirety of the release. The horn accents in the verses retain a perfection of tonal accuracy, but sound a little synthesized. When I asked the band about it, they said that they had each horn player record multiple tracks for every line, and a “hell of a lot of compression” was added afterwards. The band says this was done due to advice from JR, the sax player from Less Than Jake. The effect is definitely unique, as the horns remain unified and crisp in accents and in main melodies. The vocals of Dave, the band’s lead guitarist and vocalist, are sung with a lot of feel and catchy melody, which really gets your attention. There are small points where I feel like he’s holding back a little bit, and as a consequence misses a note by a miniscule amount, but the musicality and energy of the track as a whole is in no way effected. This is an excellent kickoff track. “Final Step,” the next track up, really shows off the exceptional abilities of both Dave and Billy, the band’s drummer. Transitioning from rock to punk to ska, the band stays really tight, and when the first horn hook comes in, you can’t help but smile. Although simple, it’s one of those lines that gets stuck in your head for days. There are also some small harmonies in this tune that work out really well – I just wish that the band used more of them throughout the release, as I find myself adding harmonies here and there to the catchy lyrics. “Yes I Know” changes up the pace a bit, as it takes on a really slow ska feel with huge emphasis on vocals with excellent accompanying horn lines. While the band slows the tempo, they don’t quit in energy or precision, the sign of a well-practiced and experienced group of musicians. The band kicks into a third wave paced feel in a middle section with a really nice trombone solo by Brian, preventing the track from being anything close to boring. The next track is without question my favorite on the release. “Open Up Your Ears” has catchy vocals, a high-paced and well-played horn line, a tight rhythm section, and transitions from ska to punk that make it sound easy. If you pay attention to the vocals, there’s a nice irony to them throughout the disc, as Dave has an awesome vibrancy to his style but the actual lyrics often present a harsh reality of life that gives J9’s songs awesome substance.

“You’ve Lost It” has extremely exceptional drums in the introduction as Billy shows his excellent percussive prowess, which fades into the high tempo punk that J9 has exerted elsewhere on this release with the same meticulousness. The ska sections of this tune make very nice bass lines apparent, as it winds down to a final “I know this fight is hopeless” by Dave. “This Is Me” is an bold self-proclamation anthem for Johnny 9 which plays a lot with up-tempo ska and chant-along parts that work really well live. The half-tempo rock chorus gets stuck in your head after one time through, and you can’t help but sing along for the rest of the song. “First Choice” again opens up with slow-paced ska, accented really well by another well-played horn line. This song is somewhat of a depressing reality check lyrically, something that makes you really identify with Dave as he sings “And I know that I’ll never be your first choice.” The odd thing is that while listening to something so realistic, all you want to do is get up and dance. J9 has the odd effect of making you dance and sing simultaneously, which is really admirable. “Please Dance With Me” rounds out the release with an intro in the low-quality style of a record, but when it kicks in to the horn hook, retains the same quality and has the same kick as any other track. With more heartfelt lyrics and an awesome ska-punk vibe, this song exemplifies the quality all over Open Up Your Ears and closes it out really well.

Reviewed By:  Todd Springer

Date:  Sat 2 Sep 06

Score:  9.0

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Larry and the Pinheads :: Mon 6 Nov 06 :: 5.0 / 5

This band is incredible. We had the pleasure or playing with them a few times and i loved hanging out with them and watching them play. Theyre all real nice guys and great musicians. -Larry and the Pinheads

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