The Shills have been around for almost a decade. Playing music in the Boston scene for so long, it’s easy to expect them become cornered or stagnant in their work. But instead of drowning in their own niche, The Shills have worked tirelessly at their complex progressive pop sound, arriving to where they are today.
Today, they are working on their fifth album, Keep Your Hands Busy: Volume 2. After three years of pouring themselves into the intricacies of this latest project, they’ve launched a PledgeMusic campaign to help them fund it. The album is due out in May, but you can cement a preorder through the campaign now. The $10 AccessPass gets you the album before its release, plus plenty of behind the scenes action.
Just to keep it interesting, the band is offering a slew of unorthodox rewards for backers in tandem with some more straightforward ones. Love The Big Lebowski? The Shills will take you bowling and supply you with white russians all night. Prefer to keep it more low key? They’re also offering a download of their whole discography. That’s not to say that customized shot glasses and a chance for them to play your home aren’t interesting either.
But like all great internet campaigns, it needs some form of placard to bring in the masses. One of the ways that they’ve decided to bring attention to their campaign is through releasing live video sessions. One of the The Shills’ biggest draws has always been the precision and raw talent of their live act. But their most recent video is a different breed. This time around, they decided to cover Pony by Ginuwine. That’s right, the very same song that turned the 90’s into one fat innuendo.
In the steamy wake of this cover, we caught up with them to ask them what some of their favorite R&B videos.
Bryan:
Whitney Houston – “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
“She was so sexy, so big and loud and sang like a freight train. I will remember the first time I heard this song for the rest of my life. It was a HUGE reason I sang so much as a kid. And how I learned to use my voice. I used to WAIL to this record with my sisters making breakfast, or doing the dishes.”
Janet Jackson – “Nasty”
“This video is what I remember the most. Janet was mean, kind of scary, and hot as HELL. As a lil dude, I was I was mesmerized by her badassness and her insanely good dancing. And who doesn’t love a lil dirty ditty from the mid 80’s?”
Erykah Badu – “On & On”
“I was mostly in love with Erykah Badu as a youngin, then she won a grammy for a WEIRD and EDGY record called Baduizm, then she became a hero of mine, and she still is. This was the first single. The video is great. She’s narrating to the camera in what looks like hollywood actress-like confidence. So much space in her vocals. Leaves a ton of room for the listener to take in everything she says. It forces you to listen to every word. She OOZES bravado and subtle beauty at the same time, Just a super super star for damn good reason.”
TLC – “Creep”
“HUGE single at a time when I was kind of annoyed with the radio. It was 94 and Nirvana, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots sort of took over my daily listening, But this record, and this single just roped me in big time. This is an amazing single. The lyrics are funny, and wryly smart. The ‘oh ah, oh ah, oh ah’ bridge is fucking awesome.”
Ryan:
Janelle Monae – “Tightrope”
“This video and song really blew me away when it came out! Janelle’s voice, dance moves and awesome hairdo are mesmerizing. Kinda revitalized my faith in modern R&B and Pop.”
Justin Timberlake – “Senorita”
“I was never a fan of ‘N Sync, but after he put out this solo album it made me think twice about him as a musician and entertainer. Funny thing — I saw him perform at a giant festival in Toronto in 2002, it was called SARS stock, and was an attempt to get tourism back into the city after their SARS epidemic. Anyway, he was opening for The Rolling Stones, ACDC, The Flaming Lips, Rush and The Guess Who, and he was killing it with these new tunes; his band was mad tight! The crowd didn’t happen to think so though, they were throwing whatever they could find at him throughout his entire set… I was digging the performance though and this video is iconic.”
James:
D’Angelo – “Untitled”
“The video is pure sexuality in the most comforting way possible. One of the few videos that makes me crave a cigarette.”
Boyz II Men – “Mowtown Philly”
“The song is as iconic as the philly landmarks that were chosen for scenes in this video.”
Blackstreet – “No Diggity”
“This video starts off with a singing doll and goes to limousines and beach houses.”
Lauryn Hill – “That Thing”
“This video features a split screen of a 60s and 90s block party in a unique way to juxtapose the 2 generations of r&b.”
The Shills’ next show will be Friday, February 20th at O’Briens with Idiot Genes and The Organ Beats.