Greetings, Friends! Musicbot 6000 here with a press release from BIG BANG BOOM, who are getting ready to release a new record of family rock. Check it out!
Hot on the heels of winning a Grand Prize in this year’s John Lennon Songwriting Contest, North Carolina’s favorite power pop band for kids, Big Bang Boom, is poised to come front and center on the national stage with the September 18 release of their third studio CD, Because I Said So!
Comprised of three devoted dads who just happen to be seasoned professional musicians, Big Bang Boom is know for laying down solid, hard-rockin’, parent-friendly music that’s FUN. As children of the ’70s and ’80s, with influences ranging from the Bee Gees and KISS to Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and U2, Big Bang Boom writes music that’s all about what makes pop music popular, cleverly mixing pop, alternative, hip-hop, country and other styles to create their own playful, contemporary sound. As a rule, their lyrics are written from a child’s perspective, something that comes naturally to these dad-musicians, who quite pragmatically insist that this makes the “messages” in their songs more palatable than they would be if voiced by an adult authority figure.
Big Bang Boom shines when it comes to fresh ideas for creatively putting a song together. Witness the terrific energy and intense, driving rhythms of “Green Light,” a song that’s a revved-up version of the backyard game Red Light/Green Light. When that rocking’ bass comes to a sudden STOP! — punctuated by drummer Eddie Walker — there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind regarding what it’s about. Guitarist Steve Willard picks out a neat sounding, “stick in your ear” introduction to “Bicycle” that perfectly paints a happy musical portrait of one of the benchmark moments in a kid’s life. There’s a heartfelt tribute to a special kind of mom in “Hippie Mom” and a “just for fun” song, “I Can Sing,” which encourages kids to create their own music but wisely includes a confidential rap detailing a variety of topics not meant for public warbling. More good advice for kids comes through loud and clear in “One” (about making a difference in the world), “Are We There Yet?” (demonstrating by example what it’s like for parents to be on the receiving end of groaning, whining, and moaning from the back seat), and the album’s title track, which ends with a child coming to the conclusion that there’s not always an explanation for “Why?”
Notes Big Bang Boom’s Chuck Folds, “Because I Said So! is the product of a new level of maturity for Big Bang Boom, which makes sense As our children get older, our music grows up, too. Our first CD had a much more ‘kiddie’ feel. Our second album was a little more pop, with the lyrics and music becoming a bit more sophisticated. Because I Said So! is the most multi-generational of the trilogy, and a few songs on the album could fit right in to either a kids’ radio show or one on the adult end of the spectrum. We try to write using language that is familiar and meaningful to children, while on another level referencing a depth that kids may not understand. It’s like SpongeBob cartoons. There’s plenty in those cartoons that grownups will ‘get,’ but that goes right over kids’ heads. As with any good work of art, we want our songs to have multiple layers of meaning for anyone, at any age.”
After twenty years spent touring clubs and playing for “grown up” parties, Chuck Folds, Steve Willard, and Eddie Walker decided in 2007 to expand their horizons and focus on family entertainment. As Big Bang Boom they have released two CDs of original music, made countless morning television appearances, played the prestigious Kidzapalooza stage at Lollapalooza (2011), the family stage at the Hangout Music Fest, the family music industry conference Kindiefest (2012), the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF), Musikfest (2009), and even the NASCAR Coca Cola 600 Speed Street Festival. Their song, “Monster Under the Bed,” was a Grand Prizewinner in this year’s John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and they placed as finalists in the International and USA Songwriting Contests.
Previous Big Bang Boom recordings include Songs Your Mom Will Like (2010) and Why Can’t I Have Ice Cream? (2008). Because I Said So will be available online at www.CDBaby.com and iTunes.
Want more? http://chuckfolds.com/big-bang-boom/
