Ezra Furman and The Harpoons

By guest poster Adam Levy

I have this once in a lifetime opportunity to post some new music on Top Shelf - can't screw this one up or I'll never be offered another chance...

And so, I have a great new band, so talented, I don't think even I can squander a thing like this. If you haven't heard of them, welcome Ezra Furman and The Harpoons to the stage (or stages, considering they've been playing all over the states including with South By Southwest right now). The rumor mill has them already booked at Lollapalooza this summer as well, which according to "sources," aka friends of his, is true.

Ezra's a Chicago native, but the band hails from Boston where they attended Tufts. The entire group is blooming with talent, and Ezra leads the way with a voice that ranges from an easy comparison to Bob Dylan all the way to Jack White. Ezra really is something new though, I haven't heard anything similar in recent memory (think wobbly voice of Violent Femmes but, well, more wobbly), and when I sit and listen to him wail away with lyrics that clearly came from somewhere meaningful, I can't help but feel a sense of urgency, like these things need to be said. He's not careful in letting you know how he feels, with satirical and at times almost desperate lyrics. But it all comes in different forms - like my favorite song from their latest release, the first song of the record titled "We Should Fight" from the album "Inside The Human Body." It's upbeat and screams energy, a perfect way to open an album, which is followed by their single "Take Off Your Sunglasses."

Later in the album, a quick and quieter (but not mellow) 1 minute acoustic track called "The World is Alive" summarizes exactly what I love about this band and Ezra's writing, specifically because we see a small glimpse of what's going on in his mind. It's a insider view at what he's looking at when he opens his eyes: that we go through life looking at a million things a day, usually without any thought that these random items and people we pass every day actually exist and play a role. I don't know what it is, but the fact that he's able to conceptualize this idea so strong and quickly clicks for me. Call me overly sentimental or cheesy - but hey, it's difficult to find bands these days that you can jam out to, and that have something worthwhile to say. It's 1.5 minutes of your time, and I really think it's worth it, especially because he says it better than I do:



"There is love in the eyes of the birds and bees, there are plastic bags in suburban trees, keep your eyes open all the time and I think you'll find there's no place to hide, and the world is alive..."

"Take Off Your Sunglasses is a phenomenal song as well, a lot of other people are figuring this out too, see it here:


Ezra's myspace
Ezra's website

Check out the album on iTunes or other places online, either way let me know what you think, peace yall.