Lunch of Champions

There’s no money in saying no

Alright, disclosure time: the man behind Cryns #3, Toby Cryns, is a friend of mine. Also, I play piano on his new record, If Howard Roarke Could Dance.

It’s a fun disc, for sure – well-crafted little pop songs, with hand claps, group singalongs, a trombone solo … he’s basically got everything but a kitchen sink thrown in, and I’m guessing it’s because there wasn’t one available.

Cryns #3 – Kids.

This song will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day, and I don’t think that’s a problem. Toby’s melodies are deceptively simple things that kind of wind their way around your subconscious for a while, and, like many of the songs I post here on Robots, you’ll find yourself singing “the kids are keeping it real” while in line at the bank, and it may cost you your bank dignity.

If you live in the Twin Cities area, you can catch Cryns #3 (including me on keyboards) at the 400 Bar on Cedar in Minneapolis, tonight at 8. It’ll set you back five bucks, but you’ve paid much more for much worse, haven’t you? Like that time when I paid thirty bucks to see Ray Davies ham it up and play a depressing set of nostalgia-peddling and new, bad songs. Oh, wait, that was just this past Tuesday. Grrrrr.

Anyway, you can pick up If Howard Roarke Could Dance from the Cryns #3 website.

South and Main!