the breaking uppers eat your heart out-john
The Upright Citizens Brigade has a new DVD release available at a fine retailer near you of their ASssssSCAT live improv show. You should get it and see the original 4 plus some of the lesser-known agents of chaos alongside comedy giants like Thomas Lennon, Will Arnett and Paul F. Tompkins. After watching it recently with Will-the walking Seinfeld/UCB encyclopedia I went back and watched bits and pieces of season 3 (RELEASE IT ON DVD COMEDEY CENTRAL!) in particular episode 304 entitled “Band” in which the group skewers all things music from band rehearsal to unrealistic and often unnecessary fame (see also the Titte Brothers) with the fuax creation of a band. When it comes time to choose a band name no conclusion can be reached and so the band breaks up and in turn giving the band their eventual name the Breaker Uppers. It’s amazing and you have to write Comedy Central to tell them you want Season 3 out on DVD or come over to my house to watch my VHS copy. Anyway- I remembered coming across a REAL band called the Breakups and that they were pretty good. I wrote them to inquire about a possible UCB homage... check out the reply:
“John, Congratulations! You are the first person who has ever gotten the UCB reference. We were desperate for a band name and my girlfriend had just broken up with me and I was over at a friend's house who had some UCB episodes on her On Demand Cable and when I saw that one I just freaked out. It was so perfect in so many ways. Of course, if anybody ever came to us threatening to sue I would deny everything.”
...and just like that- the Breakups are instantly and immortally cool despite being from Hollywood- ha. The sound is a cross between Fountains of Wayne and Dion (you know- the guy who sang “has anyone here seen my old friend John?”) It is lonely pop music with a somber edge that can be listened to over and over again. The debut EP is called Eat Your Heart Out and can be previewed on their myspace HERE.