Fad

Sporting a ‘60s-like mod look, the Fad are among the many bands that came out of New York City's neo-garage rock scene of the early 2000s--a scene that has also given us bands like the Blam and the well known Strokes. Many of those neo-garage outfits have come from Brooklyn, and that Big Apple borough is also the home of the Fad--a rockin' yet melodic and tuneful trio that brings a lot of ‘60s influences to the table, including the Who, the Beatles, the Kinks, the Animals and the Rolling Stones (especially their early recordings). None of the members of the Fad (who shouldn't be confused with the female pop-rap group JJ Fad) were alive in the ‘60s; John Laurence (lead vocals, guitar), Michael Pisano (bass, background vocals) and Anthony DeCarlo (drums) were all born in either the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, and the New Yorkers were all in their late teens or early 20s when the Fad was formed in the early 2000s. Nonetheless, their affection for ‘60s garage rock and power pop is evident, which isn't to say that all of their influences are from the ‘60s. The Fad have also claimed the Jam--a famous British punk/new wave band of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s--as an influence. And that affection for punk and new wave isn't atypical of New York's 21st Century neo-garage scene; typically, rockers in that scene are the sort of people who will listen to the Kinks or the Beatles one minute and the Jam or the Romantics the next. That scene has treasured melodic artists who make hooks a priority, which is why the Fad fit right in. In 2002, the Brooklyn residents recorded their self-titled debut EP, which New York's independent Lo-Fi Records released in early 2003. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide