What’s the deal?
Not to be confused with ’80s English boy band Bros, BROS is a lighthearted sideline for real-life “bros” Ewan and Shamus Currie, the frontman/guitarist and keyboardist, respectively, for amiable Saskatoon rock ‘n’ roll combo the Sheepdogs.
It’s not inconceivable, mind you, that a version of Bros’ “When Will I Be Famous” or “Cat Among the Pigeons” or “Chocolate Box,” recorded in a garage somewhere on a winter night when the Curries had indulged in one too many, lurks deep within the BROS archive. The brothers appear up for giving pretty much whatever a go on their 2016 debut album, Vol. 1. It’s a none-too-serious affair that’s about nothing more ambitious than hittin’ a groove and havin’ a laugh in emulation of various cherished pockets of their shared record collection — although BROS’ tastes as publicly advertised to date definitely tend to favour slick, silken ’70s soft-rock, funk and R&B (and maybe just a touch more Burt Bacharach than the Sheepdogs’ shaggy oeuvre would ever lead you to expect) over well-coiffed British teenybopper fare from the New Wave era. Still, you never know what might happen down the road.
For the moment, BROS don’t much resemble the Sheepdogs — although fans might detect a hint of that band’s Prairie-bred boogie-rock prowess strutting casually through “Sometimes You’ve Got To Be Sad” and “Watch Who You’re Talking To” — and their anything-goes approach means one can hear everything from Steely Dan to Santana to solo Ringo Starr to Sly and the Family Stone bubbling up through the reverently dry and detailed, ’70s-styled mix on Vol. 1, with a shout-out to Brazilian psych heroes Os Mutantes and a tune called “Scooby Doobie” that sounds like a deranged outtake from the Partridge Family soundtrack thrown in along the way because . . . well, why not? To further sweeten the deal, too, the clear vinyl version comes with its own branded air freshener and a felt BROS pennant.
Sum up what you do in a few simple sentences
Says Ewan: “We’re music-obsessed dudes from the frozen plains of Saskatchewan, where we grew up listening to the songwriting greats of the vinyl era. We’re brothers so our music is filled with inside jokes, fraternal competition and brotherly love. We’re the blue-collar Hall & Oates.”
What’s a song I need to hear right now?
“Brazil.” High-camp, tropicalia-tinged, post-British Invasion whimsy with a flutter of samba here and there for titular context.
Where can I see them play?
At Lee’s Palace on Friday, Feb. 10. It’s sold out, but you can probably still find a way in if you’re wily.
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