Second Stage: Generationals

by Robin Hilton

Download "When They Fight They Fight" (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer are two New Orleans-based musicians who write and record under the name Generationals. The duo's newly released debut album, Con Law, is an unabashedly cheery, uptempo collection of songs that remind me a lot of the more innocent pop music of the '60s. Widmer and Joyner serve up catchy three-minute tracks with soulful horns, handclaps, ringing guitars and sweet two-part harmonies. There are a few seemingly anachronistic surprises here and there, like an analog drum machine or the occasional synth line, that give the mix a slightly more modern feel. But overall, the production is classic and warm, in part because Joyner and Widmer say they recorded the album on "an old 24-track, 2-inch tape machine that threatened to melt down several times."

This is the standout cut on the album. It's called "When They Fight They Fight."

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4:05 PM ET | 08-11-2009 | permalink

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