Darkness Dear Boy is not cool. But to their credit most musicians are not cool. Most musicians are awkward people who find that normal means of self expression elude them. They hide away in basements and garages practicing their instruments in an attempt to find another way to communicate with the world. Basically, they fake it until they make it. DDB, however, is wholly unconcerned with being cool. There is no hidden message brooding behind their catchy chord progressions. There is not some unexpressed emotion concealed inside their music. Okay. So they're not cool. But Darkness Dear Boy possesses one of music's rarest virtues - Authenticity. The hipster set longs for authenticity, with their 1800s ironic mustaches, depression era chic, and anachronistic musical preferences. There is nothing "authentic" about an upper middle-class white kid dressing like a downtrodden coal miner. Compared to a band like Mumford & Sons, Darkness Dear Boy is the most authentic band in the world. They say that the 90s was the last great decade for music. The last time a wholly new form of musicial expression was created. In many ways, DDB is a throwback to this time. If grunge rock decided that life wasn't so bad, and that they'd rather have fun like the ska bands - it would sound a lot like Darkness Dear Boy. If Cake decided that sounding like they gave a sh*t was important, they might sound a lot like Darkness Dear Boy. Ted and the boys are the perfect mashup of everything that made the 90s the last great musicial decade minus all the depressing baggage. You can tell Darkness Dear Boy just wants to have fun. That they enjoy themselves on stage. You can hear their influences loudly and proudly in their music. And you can hear that they desperately want you to have a good time as well. They are the best of party hosts, grateful that you came, not entitled to your attendance. They are not afraid to work for your attention. This makes them honest. This makes them earnest. And it makes them authentic. But it will never make them cool. and that, is pretty damn cool. -Jack Maverik Primus meets Bowie...and they have a child, but they have to put it up for adoption...Left alone for years, it is finally adopted by and raised by the Foo Fighters....that's what Darkness Dear Boy sounds like! -Jessica Watson Frastaci