Send "Ride Your Bike " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Absolutepunk |
 There's a good chance the California quintet Ride Your Bike will find favor on this Web site. After all, their urgent splash of indie rock is the kind of thing many users find alluring. Yet, bestowing ample amounts of praise on said quintet is probably foolhardy and a bit premature. The group's sophomore EP The Connection is not lackluster by any stretch, it's just not the kind of stuff that deserves widespread acclaim. Album opener and title track "The Connection," opens with pleasant guitars, a cello and vocalist Mike Getches' less than sonorous voice. Reedy with a penchant for melodramatic whine, the strength of Ride Your Bike draws mostly on the band's arrangements and not Getches' timbre. That's not to discredit him at all, he's a capable vocalist for certain, he just doesn't annchor the songs with the same kind of swagger and conviction than that of his contemporaries. On urgent cuts like "Spark," and "Bus," there's a wanton disregard for pop conventions that's both alarming and also enticing. On the desperate "Coat Rack," he sounds haggard, despondent and worn out, while on "Firefly," he chases down light-hearted breezy pop with aplomb. For all its highs and lows, the EP's zenith is undoubtedly "Time We Took Those Chances," a song that is the quartet's most complete composition to date. Lyrically compelling, sonically cohesive and sung with more passion and control than any of the prior four, "Time We Took Those Chances," is the kind of song that points towards a promising future....full text |
| Deepelm |
| "The Connection is the follow up to the Ride Your Bike's debut Bad News from the Bar. They deliver a 6 song album on Deep Elm Records that is reminiscent of The Get Up Kids and Stay What You Are era Saves The Day. This record is punctuated with catchy hooks; sing along choruses and narrative lyrics that paint the scene perfectly. The flow of the album is perfect in my opinion. It's the right mix of slower and up tempo tracks. The title track, The Connection, starts with a slow beat and builds perfectly to a danceable chorus that gets stuck in your head almost instantly. The addition of some stringed instruments to this track just puts it over the top for me. Perfection all around. The third track on the album, Fire Fly, is a track that reminds me more of Saves The Day. I also hear a little bit of The Anniversary. Again...awesome. It's almost like this album has elements of everything I loved about pop punk circa 2000. Once again, you are hit with a catchy chorus and the vocal style just sticks so well. PERFECT. Overall...go get this. Right now. Imagine if The Get Up Kids didn't go the direction of On The Wire, this is where they would be. Definitely 5 out of 5 on this one." - Stereo Killer "Deep Elm is one of those rare labels that never signs bands that are already big or that are hyped, yet you always know that it's going to be worth your time. That's once again the case with Ride Your Bike's 'The Connection.' If The Get Up Kids hadn't gone all mellow on us, I'm imagining this is what they would've sounded like. Think of 'Stay What You Are' era Saves The Day or Death Cab at their most boisterous. The songs on here are upbeat, come with catchy hooks and good lyrics and have a way of staying in your head for the rest of the day. My only qualm with this release if you can call it one is that it's just six songs long. I want to hear more dammit! If you are looking for some seriously rocking songs with pop sensibilities, look no furtherŠThe Connection is all you'll need." - Punk Rock Theory "I remember listening to Death Cab For Cutie for the first time, letting the touches of darkness seep through the soft rock and grasp my emotions out of me. Ride Your Bike provide a similar kind of chemistry with their new EP 'The Connection' as they offer a small set of indie-pop tracks. 'The Connection' is an emotional mid-tempo chord progression fitted with intertwining vocal lines that'll slowly grab you under the sweet sound of cellos. The verses don't crash into distorted guitars and the band make the most of the soft tones of their instruments to create some intelligent hooks and you'll most certainly have trouble getting that chorus out of your head. 'Spark' crosses into rockier Fountains Of Wayne-like territory. The guitars are crunchier, but they don't lose any of the smoothness of their arrangements. 'Coat Rack' may well be the stand-out track of the EP. Mike Getches proves the driving force behind this track that tries to hide its punk roots. It isn't as instantly memorable as 'The Connection' but it contains a driving chorus with the kind of sweet melodies and instrumental work that guided The Get Up Kids into the hearts of so many. The band close with 'Time We Took Those Chances', a track that starts off with soft acoustic guitar before breaking into staccato crunch, complete with their signature chorus style. Credit must be giving to the work put into the vocals as a whole, as they always manage to create an ethereal background as well as compelling lead vocal work. The sweet boy and girl storytelling elements of the song hide a darker heart that should please the Death Cab fans. The Connection is a small package of indie-pop goodness that shouldn't be overlooked." - Alter The Press "Perhaps the most aptly named band I've reviewed, Los Angeles natives Ride Your Bike play the sort of contemporary heartfelt and melodic indie-rock that bands like Saves The Day or The Get Up Kids helped popularize. A six song effort here, frontman Mike Getches wanted to write the best songs he could that would help people realize the interconnectedness between everyone, the planet, even the universe. With endless hooks, dynamic pop sensibilities, and sing-a-long choruses on 'The Connection', even if you don't try to understand just where Getches is coming from lyrically, it's pretty hard not to succumb to the pure harmony and catchiness of the songs. Ride Your Bike are worth a listen for anyone who enjoys warms, soaring indie rock that oozes with pop melodies and intelligent, articulate wordplay. For fans of Copeland, Say Anything, Death Cab For Cutie and Honorary Title." - go211...full text |
| Stereokiller |
| Imagine if The Get Up Kids didn’t go the direction of On The Wire, this is where they would be. Ride Your Bike is a Fort Collins, CO based, 5 piece indie rock band. The Connection is the follow up to the bands first release “Bad News from the Bar”. They deliver a 6 song album on Deep Elm Records that is reminiscent of The Get Up Kids and Stay What You Are era Saves The Day. Not to say that this is a TGUK rip off band, the songs are truly original as well is the sound, but you can definitely here the influences of some of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s pop punk acts on Vagrant Records. This record is punctuated with catchy hooks; sing along choruses and narrative lyrics that paint the scene perfectly. The flow of the album is perfect in my opinion. It’s the right mix of slower and up tempo tracks, but ultimately I wanted more songs by the end of the album. Six songs just wasn’t enough. The title track, The Connection, starts with a slow beat and builds perfectly to a danceable chorus that gets stuck in your head almost instantly. The addition of some stringed instruments to this track just puts it over the top for me. Perfection all around. The third track on the album, Fire Fly, is a track that reminds me more of Saves The Day (coincidentally, they also had a track called Fire Fly). Again, this is hardly a bad thing. I also hear a little bit of The Anniversary. Again…awesome. It’s almost like this album has elements of everything I loved about pop punk circa 2000. Once again, you are hit with a catchy chorus and the vocal style just sticks so well. PERFECT....full text |
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