Been There, Rocked That: Breakup Breakdown Shed Their Skin and Evolve July Feature 2007 Breakup Breakdown - Blue Dots Photo from myspace.com/breakupbreakdown

The t-shirt was worn by the singer during a show in Washington DC, and even though they sound nothing like Yes, to me it’s always symbolized what makes Breakup Breakdown so special: behind every great band, there’s a great record collection. And no matter how straight-forward the music seems at first glance, that well of rock knowledge always creeps into the feedback.

Courtesy of myspace.com/breakupbreakdown

The post-millennium music climate was a tough one for rock acts. With music fans jaded by one-trick ponies like Jet and two-trick ponies like the Strokes, uber-trick ponies like Breakup Breakdown have had to constantly play up their strengths in order to snag a jaded audience. On that night in DC the band ripped into "Shiny Eyes" and I remember my old college roommate commenting on his indifference to the music (though it should be noted that he still owned Amy Grant CDs at the time). By the end of the set, however, my friend was thoroughly impressed; song after song, Breakup Breakdown displayed the subtle versatility that has become their trademark. They also tore the roof off the place. Not even the most cynical rock fan could resist it, let alone an Amy Grant enthusiast. So here we are today, and the band has only gotten better.

"Oh my gosh... talk about a blast from the past!" Guitarist Jeff Mensch and organist Allie Langerak are holding a copy of an old Denver Zest CD that I've brought out for show-and-tell. Both Mensch and Sparber did their share of damage behind the mixing board on this blitzkrieg synthbop recording back when Williamsburg was pretty much unknown to anyone who didn't play an instrument. Hold up a magnifying glass to the liner notes and you'll see that it was "recorded at the Come On practice space," Come On being the first band that Sparber and Mensch put together upon arriving in NYC. The two had met in Boston and hit it off instantly. "James was walking down the street in August wearing a suit," says the guitarist with a grin, "I had to know this guy." Clearly these two belonged in the Big Apple. Come On, according to folks who lived through the sets, was the kind of band that you would expect from a bunch of young, garage rock hooligans with loud amps and a lot of alcohol. After Come On came Girl Harbor, in which the wide range of influences lurking beneath the surface began to surface in the music. Their Shine On EP was amphetamine art glam. "Boys in Heat" featured a classic guitar riff, a carnival-ish instrumental break, and enough groans to make Prince blush. Plus, it was the first and only song to ever construct a chorus around Jordan Catalano and the pick-up line, "so fuck me."

A pilot version of the She Went Black EP contained the title song with its Stax/Volt inflections as well as epic feedback fests like "Waiting for the Snow."  Langerak's organ and backing vocals were a crucial addition to the new outfit from the start; now when Sparber raised his shot glass of rock to proclaim that everyone was indeed waiting for the snow, a female voice was there to chime in that "it's what we need!" Initial drummer Greg Altman, who treated his maracas like meat tenderizers, was a carry-over from Girl Harbor. With initial bassist Honstetter dressing up like a true scholar of Bowie, the line-up hit the ground with a compelling wallop, but in retrospect it's clear that this was a transitional phase.

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