The Sidewalks

Formed by singer-songwriter Dan Kwas and brothers John and Mike Bartlein in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the summer of 1979, the Sidewalks performed their original blend of '60s American garage band pop and New Wave/punk at clubs in Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago for three and a half years before disbanding in January 1983. The band released one single -- "Natalie" -- which was a high-request tune on local college radio during the summer of 1981, and had their song "Rhythm Kids" -- a sly poke at the Catholic method of birth control -- included on a compilation album released by mainstream rock radio station WKTI in 1982. "Here Are The Sidewalks," released in 2010, brings together digitally remastered versions of "Natalie" and "Rhythm Kids" along with eight other original songs recorded in the studio between 1980 and 1982. There is another band with the same name: The Sidewalks are a five piece group from Charlottetown, PEI, who have defined ska their way by incorporating influences drawn from mainstream pop, '90s rock, an affection for 80s metal and a worn collection of records from the 70s. They've fused these styles together and buttered them with tight, melodic brass to produce Skalternative Rock. Their energetic live show, catchy songwriting, and steadily growing fan base has put them on stage with illScarlett, FRED, The Artist Life, Attack in Black and You Say Party! We Say Die!, showcased them on the 2010 ECMA Rock Stage, and earned them three 2010 Music PEI Award nominations including New Artist of the Year, Alternative Recording of the Year, and Group of the Year. News of their new sound, energy, and stage presence spread by word of mouth shortly after The Sidewalks started gigging in late 2008. An act that moves quickly, the band began working Sandbar Music in November and the following February saw the boys jamming away on the ferry to Corner Brook, NFLD, for the 2009 East Coast Music Awards. The boys performed on the ECMA Discovery Stage and the Music PEI Rock Showcase before having released an album. It was during this excursion their first single “Ready, Set, Go!” began getting airplay. Back from Newfoundland the band got to work on their first studio EP, "Better Late Than Never", at Big Grey Sound Studio (2010 ECMA Recording Studio of the Year nominee) with Jon Matthews at the controls (2010 ECMA Studio Engineer of the Year nominee). The disc contains seven high energy tracks including a re-mixed version of “Ready, Set, Go!” Songs like 'S.O.S. From the Burlesque' 'Guess What?' and the remixed 'Ready, Set, Go!' are the quintessential ska songs found on any ska lover's mix tape—catchy hooks, steady grooves, and memorable horn lines make up these fast paced tunes—while 'A Better Way' and 'Down Too Fast' show the band's ability to incorporate sonic elements unheard of from any self-described ska band. 'On Empty' is a testament to the heartbroken in need of a pick-me-up and the title track, 'Better Late Than Never', manages to take themes of regret and still turn it into a pumping kitchen party. The album is on rotation at CBC Radio 3 and radio stations across Canada. The Sidewalks have seen a lot of stages in a short period of time: they were selected to play the 2010 Music PEI Awards Gala, the 2009 Canada Games VIP Party, made television appearances on Rogers Daytime and the 2009 IWK Telethon, and performed at festivals and showcases including MIMEFest (Moncton, NB), Music PEI Week (Charlottetown, PE), and The We Unite Festival (Sydney, NS). March of 2010 saw The Sidewalks on the road when they toured Ontario and Quebec (The Better Late Than Never Tour). While they are back home working on the next album the bookings for a second tour in July are coming together. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.