I think it's safe to say that alternative rock bands of the mid '90s have the most bizarre names of any genre of any era. This fine period of nomenclature brought us brilliantly nonsensical band names such as Fountains of Wayne, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Counting Crows, and Better Than Ezra. No band name is more irreverent than the Gigolo Aunts. That's right, the Gigolo Aunts, a now defunct, Boston-based, alternative pop band. The 1999 release Minor Chords and Major Themes remains the highlight of this underappreciated, talented, and poorly named band.
The Gigolo Aunts never hit it big, but that's not for lack of trying. This album, their most successful, came out 18 years after the band's initial formation. That's impressive endurance in the music business. Furthermore, relentless touring earned the Aunts (or should we call them the Gigolos?) a large fan base in Boston , and many famous friends - notably Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows. For a while it seemed that the Aunts's promotion and possible success was Duritz's own pet project - the bands toured together, their album is on Duritz's label, and he even adds his talents to one of their songs, "Big Lie."
This 13-song album is solid from beginning to end. The Gigolo Aunts's style is fairly indicative of the alternative pop genre that reached its heyday in the mid '90s. The songs are fairly simple, and center around the traditional band setup with vocals, guitar, bass, and drum as a cohesive unit. The majority of songs drift slowly and sweetly along, with light guitar strumming and simple beats. While the songs aren't exactly ballads, they are by no means explosive or dance-worthy. Simply put, the style of music is relaxing and serves as an excellent backdrop. A standout song on the album, "Fade Away," exemplifies this idea. While there is nothing overt about the song's style, it creates a sweeping backdrop with a contemplative and emotional feel.
There are a few times where the band throws in a surprising upbeat feel to counteract the sweeping midtempo works. The best song on the album, "Big Lie" surprisingly appears between several of the soothing pieces. The exaggerated lyrical styling, along with the poppy guitar work, makes for a very fun sound, eliciting uncontrollable sing-alongs and head bopping. The delightfully titled "Super Ultra Wicked Mega Love" is another "rock" song. The guitar crunches along while the lead vocalist muses about the idealist intentions of people who submit personal ads in hopes of finding their one true love.
As emphasized by the album title, this work thrives on the lyrical content of the songs. Much like their mid '90s counterparts, the vocalist wears his emotions on his sleeve, musing about love, despair, the meaning of life, and anything else that the sensitive male lead singer stereotype sings about. While his voice is rather distinct, the noted effort he puts into the vocals highlights the emotional content of the songs and the album as a whole. While several lyrical clich?©s are apparent in "Everyone Can Fly" and "Fade Away," the songs overall are excellent.
Minor Chords and Major Themes is an impressive and enjoyable album from a band that seemed to exemplify alterna-pop while never being one of the notable representatives of the genres. For music fans that love the genre of sensitive male rockers, introspective lyrics, and soothing melodies, the Gigolo Aunts are a great band to discover - of course, that's if you can get by the fact that you're listening to a band called the Gigolo Aunts.
