The Push Kings

The Push Kings, fronted by singing/strumming brothers Carrick Moore Gerety and Finn Moore Gerety, began life in the Boston area in the mid-'90s, playing rough melodic songs influenced by Pavement and other early-'90s U.S. indie bands. After a few 7" singles, the boys switched gears, polished up their songwriting and becoming a bona fide pop band. Ably assisted by drummer David Benjamin and bassist Matt Fishbeck, the Moore Gerety brothers began cranking out some amazing Squeeze-esque melodies (laced with Wings-era McCartney at his most touching) and began to draw crowds wherever they played. Signed up by local label Sealed Fate (run by the Dambuilders' Eric Masunaga), they released their self-titled debut album in 1997 to rave reviews. This debut was filled with pure pop gems reminiscent of Badfinger, McCartney, and Squeeze but with plenty of personality of their own. Japan caught the Push Kings buzz and released their debut (with four bonus tracks) as well as the wonderful Blowin' Up mini album, which contained the album's "Number Ones" as well as a handful of other single-only tracks. In mid-1998, the Push Kings released their sophomore album, Far Places, which took their sweet melodies to a new level by adding tape loops, breakbeats, samples, and other modern noises to their already maturing sound. Though not as well received by some of their fans due to the more experimental approach, this fine piece of work will stand the test of time. In September 1998, the band played their final hometown show before packing their bags and moving to the West Coast (San Francisco, to be precise) to search for the elusive major-label deal. After recording Feel No Fade for Le Grand Magistery in 2001, the band split.