The Elvis Brothers - Movin' Up

Ladies and gentlemen, The Elvis Brothers. I stumbled on their 1985 release Adventure Time a few years ago and really liked it, which sent me hunting for their other records ... and where I live they're a little harder to find but as it turns out not impossible, as I have found the first two records. I found not one, but two copies of Screams (I sent the other to a friend who lives in Illinois who was trying to find a copy), the band Brad was in back in the late '70s. Their first couple of albums came out on Portrait, and when the label folded in ’86, the band went on hiatus for seven years. I doubt I’ll ever track it down, but the original trio took one last kick at the can in ’92 with Now Dig This - after which they once again faded into the pop ether.

I found a pretty nice copy of their debut Movin' Up by accident (it happens) last April and I immediately sent a pic to my buddy Jeff who wrote back without missing a beat telling me which tracks he really liked. I have to agree, "Hidden in a Heartbeat" and "Fire in the City" are both fantastic as is the rest of the album. It's a twelve track party for your ears. The Elvis Brothers may have started out peppering their shows with Elvis covers and incorporating elements of rockabilly into their sound but they've put their own twist on meshing power pop with good old fashioned rock and roll.

The early '80s had no shortage of '50s infused bands. From Rockpile (I'm thinking of Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds solo too) to The Stray Cats and The Blasters, people seemed to love it listening to retro infused rock and roll. However rather than limit their colour palette to being another roots rockabilly band, The Elvis Brothers seemed to lean into the late '70s new wave power pop and added in roots rock elements because it was fun. The band pulls off the transitions between their varied influences with an ease that is actually kind of exhilarating. Brad and Graham are a fantastic rhythm section who are locked tight and sound huge. From what I have seen from a couple of older videos out there Brad was a standing drummer at the time, gotta love a standing drummer. Speaking of love, I love guitar players, and in an alternate dimension Rob Elvis is as revered as Brian Setzer. Rob is one of those players, and let's be honest the world is full of players who can melt faces who just need to be recognized, pulls of his finger flashing bibblybits rather effortlessly that make the songs pop and makes it sound easy. 

One of the saddest parts for me about the legacy of The Elvis Brothers is their absence from the streaming platforms. I know it's a cruel double edged sword ... streaming doesn't pay for shit, but the alternative is obscurity. There are some songs on YouTube which is at least something. For a band whose last release was almost thirty five years ago their fans never forgot. The Elvis Brothers still maintain a small but fervent following (small is relative, there are a couple thousand members on the band's fan site). Brad Elvis is also very active on social media and seems to really enjoy engaging with his fans. I have to admit we've exchanged some nice messages and he seems to genuinely love music and is still playing and recording (check out The Handcuffs).

The Elvis Brothers may not have become a household name or sold millions of records, but in the early '80s they released a couple of truly fine records, and those who know ... know, and those who don't are missing out.