CUT TO: a barbeque with several people milling outside (camera positioned above).
WIDE SHOT: sky, people talking, and green grass.
TIGHT ON: Tony Berg, an A & R representative.
TIGHT ON: Mitchell Froom, a producer.
ZOOM OUT: The two men shake hands and begin conversing. Their dialogue is undecipherable due to other distractions and noises.
FADE OUT
This is how The Like began, without all those sad attempts at a movie script. Tennessee (the drummer and daughter of drummer Pete Thomas of the Elvis Costello fame) sketches in the details, “Charlotte and I desperately wanted to have a band, and at a BBQ Charlotte’s dad was telling this to Z’s dad (our dad’s already knew each other) and Z’s dad said, “Oh, my daughter has been sitting in her room singing, playing guitar, and writing songs for years!”...so screen names were exchanged and then we arranged our first meeting. We took our instruments over to Z’s house, she played us a song, and we never went away!” The Like formed about two years ago, and have been getting rave reviews ever since.
Picture Credit: Ilikethelike.com
From Nylon to Teen Vogue, the media has expressed their approval for The Like. Why would they write about two seniors in high school and a freshman in college without a record deal or a full length album? Like, duh, they’re really really really really really talented. The Like is comprised of only three members: Z Berg (singer/guitarist), Charlotte Froom (bass player), and Tennessee Thomas (drummer), but they pack a punch of at least six people. Before reaching magazine stands and KCRW radio waves, The Like were still set apart from the average garage band with their early appreciation for music. Tennessee recalls, “I’ve been interested in music since I was old enough to know what it was.” Also in an interview with Nic Harcourt of Morning Becomes Eclectic Z explained how her parents told her that she wrote songs on the piano when she was very young, and how she grew up listening to the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Beach Boys. These bands would eventually influence Z, Charlotte, and Tennessee with their catchy pop rock songs.
Tennessee claims that “everyone” influences their music. For those who have not heard any of their songs, just to narrow it down a bit, they sound like the Go-Go’s, The Waitresses, The Bangles, Bjork, and The Beatles all combined together. Ages can be deceiving, but their songs are no deception; they’re all evidence of sophisticated song-writing. They self-released two EPs and are releasing a third one in the near future. The first EP begins with the track “(So I’ll Sit Here) Waiting” featured in the controversial movie Thirteen. The song can be compared to a lullaby with its innocent riff and gentle drumming in the beginning. However with lyrics, “‘Cause I wanna be bad for you” and heavier drumming and chords counteract the previously stated innocence, but nonetheless, it still has an infectious melody like a nursery song. “Mrs. Actually” is actually a cry for help. Z writes introspective lyrics about her surroundings while feeling insecure about leaving her home. She fits “gypsy girls,” and “backward hotels” into her massive reflection. “27 days” is reminiscent of about 27 years ago. A groovy bass line and melody make you want to take out your Disco Stu outfit from your closet, and watch Saturday Night Fever all over again to get into that “groove.”
Their second EP begins aggressively with pulsating drums and heavy strumming in “Falling Away.” Z exposes her vulnerability with lyrics, “in your arms, I’m falling away” and “my armor lays in bundles on the floor, can’t hide any more.” The music conceals her openness with roughness, so it's not a typical love song. “End of an Era” welcomes you to the modern age, and the song is just as catchy as their other songs, if not more. The only true slow song and the closest ballad is “We are Lost.” The bass and guitar are toned down while the drums try to remain conspicuous for this number. She bares her soul and admits that she’s been thinking about a certain someone and feels lost with the music intensifying her emotions, instead of concealing them.
The Like are heavily involved with the Los Angeles music scene. Tennessee says, “it’s like a family,” and she attributes most of their local success to “Phantom Planet, Maroon 5, Rooney, and all the bands that left us open for them.” They’ve played at famed concert venues such as The Troubadour, The Roxy, and The Knitting Factory, and they have also started headlining their own shows. They even traveled to New York City to play at CGBG’s and the Mercury Lounge in July 2003. When asked if touring the east coast more extensively was in their future plans, Tennessee replied, “yes, we plan to tour the world.” Ambitious? No, it’s believable that they’re going to be doing some major country hopping in the near future-just listen to some of their songs on their website. In December 2003, they had the chance to skip school and play several new songs that are not recorded on the two EPs on Morning Becomes Eclectic. Now in March 2004, they will play at the South by Southwest Festival in Texas with other rising bands.
The Like are inspiration to all girls in the States and possibly beyond the borders. Tennessee agrees that females are under represented in the music industry and leaves a note to aspiring musicians, “listen to good music, practice, and don’t give up until you get what you want.” Listen to good music-The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Beach Boys (check), Practice-“we never went away!” (check), and don’t give up until you get what you want-“we plan to tour the world” (check). The Like follows their own advice, so maybe you should follow their advice too, and be as successful as them.