Thanks Pandora: Brad Sucks
By Grace Babcock
Pandora has definitely come in handy for me every so often. My channel has artist seeds as varied as classical musician Adrian Johnston to the Swedish rock band Madragruda. You know how it is: you’re listening to your channel or variation of one of your favorite bands and a song comes up that you’ve never heard before. It can go one of two ways: either thumbs up or thumbs down. The first minute of the song is crucial. Hmm, you think, not too bad. In fact, this song is actually pretty good!
While I’ve gotten to a point where I can guess the artist without even looking, a moment where Pandora aids me in finding a new band is always big.
This was the case with the solo artist Brad Sucks. I would argue that Brad Turcotte has chosen one of the most self-deprecating monikers in music history. Brad does not suck. Brad is pretty damn fantastic. This one man band hails from Ontario, Canada and has been a strong presence in the open source community online, having designed for instant messaging service Pigdin, as well as having had his music featured on VH1. One of the simplest ways to get a taste of Brad’s music is to visit his site where he has mp3s of every single one of his songs available for free. Yup, I garner free is also one of your favorite four letter words. While Brad would be happy to get your hard-earned cash he is also pretty hip to this idea of allowing people to download his tunes for nary a penny.
So what does this guy sound like? I’ve had a tough time describing Brad’s music to friends and acquaintances (as well as anyone else I can coerce into listening to me ramble about music). Brad weaves pop, electronica, and rock elements effortlessly while also adding in some well placed percussion. The result is music that is endlessly listenable. The first song of Brad’s I heard (thanks to Pandora) was “Out of It”. It is a mournful song; simple acoustic guitar accompanies Brad’s voice as he laments the ending of a relationship, one that ended because of his own misdeeds. Here Brad sounds close to ten years older than his young thirty-four as he almost mumbles, “Lately, I’ve been out of it//But I’m trying so hard to get back where I fit in”. “Out of It” consists of Brad’s acoustic guitar, a simple backing drum loop and a bridge that makes the listener surprisingly cheery as the sound shifts from depression to relief via a well-placed guitar solo. It would be wrong to think however that this is the limit of Brad’s scope.
His ability to combine those elements of pop, electronica, and rock are blindingly bright on songs such as the recent demos, “Fluoride” and “Thanks for the Add”. I would caution listeners to not expect too much from Brad—musically, he’s a classic underachiever who has no idea just how much potential he has. One song which encapsulates this is “Borderline.” It contains a hook so catchy you may sing it all day long (I have been known to do this). It begins with a simple drum beat, the type that lends itself to lazy days out in the sunshine. Brad’s lyrics are not what one would describe as optimistic, but that doesn’t mean they won’t cheer you up. A slacker’s verse (“You’re the only one I love/I’m on many kinds of drugs”) is aided by overlapping vocals that may have been created with Garage band. “Borderline’s” bridge, however, features more of Brad’s guitar prowess as he pipes in a humorous phone message either real or fabricated in which a friend informs him that he doesn’t quite know how Brad got that mysterious rash.
I don’t quite know how Brad has stayed under the radar for so long, even with the occasional distribution from Pandora. His music is sharp, witty, and unique; the list of adjectives could go on and on. Give these songs a listen and let me know what you think in the comments!