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SPLITSVILLE are the indie rock pride of Baltimore. The band is widely recognized as one of the leading lights of the late-’90s power pop renaissance, linked by shared membership with the equally-lionized GREENBERRY WOODS. Card-carrying members of the Power Pop Hall Of Fame, they return after two-decade hiatus with an audaciously ambitious all-new album that’s also as immediate and melodically inviting as anything that came before.SPLTSVILLE was formed in 1994 by identical twins Brandt and Matt Huseman of the critically acclaimed power pop band The Greenberry Woods, along with former GBW guitar tech and rogue bartender Paul Krysiak. Their home-recorded debut album, Splitsville USA (1996), was a raw and energetic introduction to the band’s aesthetic, showcasing their knack for crafting short, punchy, and irresistible tunes. Ultrasound (1997), the band’s first studio album, demonstrated a more sophisticated approach to songwriting while retaining their signature energy. By the time they released Repeater (1998), the band had fully hit their stride, producing some of their most enduring material, with one review calling it “…a smorgasbord of great pop influenced equally by The Beatles, The Zombies, Queen, and the harder side of The Jam.” During this time, Splitsville also built a reputation for their electrifying live performances.
The band cemented their place in the Power Pop Hall Of Fame – alongside veteran genre greats 20/20, The Spongetones and The Flashcubes, now Splitsville‘s labelmates on the combined Big Stir Records/SpyderPop Records roster – with The Complete Pet Soul (2001). A concept album paying homage to mid-’60s pop, it also earned an All Music Guide rating of 4½ stars and praise that “the (original) orchestral tracks are nicely balanced with several new songs that recall the low-voltage, almost folk-rock sound that predominated on the original U.S. edition of Rubber Soul.” The impetus to replicate these lush songs on stage led to the addition of Tony Waddy, guitarist/vocalist extraordinaire, who helped solidify Splitsville’s sound. The four-piece explored new sonic territories with Incorporated (2003), hailed by Popmatters as “musical magic perpetrated by veteran power pop rockers… their latest and arguably greatest yet.”
Soon after Incorporated’s release and subsequent international tour, the band took an extended hiatus, allowing the members to pursue individual projects and get much, much older. A career-to-date anthology, Let’s Go!: The Best Of Splitsville, burnished the band’s reputation, but fans would have to wait until this year for new music. It’s on the horizon at last, heralded by the single “Beth Steel,” whose heady hooks and sharply-observed lyrics are emblematic of the new album Mobtown, a love letter to their hometown of Baltimore that expands on their timeless sound. We at Big Stir Records are delighted to bring you… SPLITSVILLE, together again and at the absolute height of their powers.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
3134 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD, United States, Maryland 21224
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