lovetester

In a musical era long on fluff and short on substance, where words such as longevity and craftsmanship seem downright archaic, comes a band that bucks all the trends by simply playing music because they enjoy it. This incomparable band is Lovetester and they are celebrating their 1,000 recorded song this month with a gig at the Parkside Lounge on October 21st in NYC. The 1,000 th song milestone is a testament to Lovetester’s prolific and spontaneous output, a feat rarely accomplished even by the most arduous songwriters.

The Jersey Shore-based quartet, comprised of Rick Bartow on lead vocals, guitars; Matt Pugliese on guitar and vocals; Jeff “Boxy” Breedlove on bass, keyboards; and Wes Paich on drums and percussion; are musical veterans of the clubs throughout New York and New Jersey. Bartow, Breedlove, and Paich were original members of Project/Object, a Zappa tribute band that includes Zappa alumni Ike Willis and Napoleon Murphy Brock. It is from the Zappa/ Captain Beefheart/ Mahavishnu/ Radiohead/ Primus springboard that Lovetester derives its ethos of sonic exploration and continuum of pushing musical boundaries. Their collective musical roots and knowledge allow for a free-form and improvisational approach to what is essentially rock-and-roll—with a twist their influences would suggest.

Lovetester was formed as a trio in 1999 as a way to play songs from Bartow’s solo disc, Asstravaganza, with Pugliese joining the band in 2001. With the lineup cemented came a new and refreshing approach to their music, as songs were instantly written and recorded at their weekly jam sessions in Paich’s basement. From October, 2002 until January, 2005 LT recorded approximately 900 songs. During that same span the band played zero gigs.

The majority of songs are made up on the fly by all four members, as they hash through suggested song titles and chords. Bartow described the band’s unconventional songwriting process: “Before we play, we discuss various topics ranging from software problems to strange smells to the major differences between growing up in the eighties versus the seventies. Colorful phrases will come up such as “calcium wad” or “aboard the Intrepid” and we’ll write them down and then I’ll usually have some idea what I’ll sing about in reference to that song title.”

Lovetester will have between 10 and 15 titles to work with before they begin playing. After that they’ll work out a verse and a chorus and then officially start the song, or they will just start jamming in a more organic way with one member starting off a riff and the others fall right in. As many as 10 songs are recorded during their three-hour jam sessions with no overdubs.

Since January, on their official website lovetestermusic.com, the band has been offering a ‘Song of the Day’ where fans can download their favorites for free . On the website the sheer breadth of their catalog is apparent, and the subversive brilliance is on full display in songs such as “Smokin’ a Butt on a Submarine,” “Give Ireland Back to the Hobbits,” and “Death Tax 3000.”

Lovetester will be hitting the road soon throughout the East Coast in celebration of their 1,000 th song milestone. They will be in search of durable shaving kits, nostalgic apothecaries, and exotic pantry raids.

-paul dowd

- lampshade