Teedo

Teedo, as they used to say of Blondie, is a group, although it's also singer Theodore Bilecky's nickname. The singer/songwriter formed the Brooklyn-based band in 2004, putting out a debut album, Luvatomic, later that year on their own ICBM label. Possessing a voice that moves from the archness of Television's Tom Verlaine to the camp extravagance of T. Rex's Marc Bolan, Bilecky favors an updating of 1970s glam rock that doesn't descend into the goofiness at the heart of other neo-glam acts like Mika, Scissor Sisters, and the Darkness: Teedo recall Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel or "Killer Queen"-era Queen, not Gary Glitter and Mud. (Denim, the short-lived '90s glam act started by ex-Felt leader Lawrence Hayward, is another touchstone, thanks in large part to Bilecky's very similar vocal style.) Following Luvatomic, some bandmember turnover led to a lengthy delay before Teedo reappeared with the EP You Are My Girl in the spring of 2008, featuring a new permanent lineup of Bilecky on vocals and guitar, Michael Kratzer on guitar, Saeko Terano on synthesizers, Oweinama Biu on bass, and Charles Davis on drums. The four-song You Are My Girl (actually three songs and a "Radio Edit" of the title track) was scheduled for a full-length follow-up later in 2008. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide