My Generation


Cheater Pint,
Dark Side of the Pint,
Kinger Recordings


[L]ike the Go-Go's on massive steroids.
-- The Noise: Rock Around Boston

If I grow up would we still be friends?
-- Cheater Pint, "If I Grow Up"

I listened to this record once, and couldn't think of anything to say. So, I listened to it again. And again. Upon reflection, I think Cheater Pint's debut leaves me speechless partly because of personal taste, partly because of age—mine more than theirs.

First of all, Dark Side of the Pint is punk-pop. Nothing wrong with that. It's just that I've always perceived the genre as music made by twentysomethings for twentysomethings (or younger). Nothing wrong with that either. Except I'm too old for this stuff.

Like many music writers, I tend to think of myself as both
open-minded and discriminating—as much as those qualities
are often in opposition—but I left my 20's behind a long time
ago. (Though I'm frequently asked to review teen favorites,
like Ben Kweller, Fall Out Boy, and Gym Class Heroes.)

Further, I've never really
been a punk-pop fan. Even
in my 20's, it wasn't exactly my favorite genre. Was it considered a genre back then? I'm too old to remember—I think we just called it punk!

In sum: Cheater Pint is a Boston quartet, and singer/guitarist Lauren O'Neal is a boffo screamer, much like fellow Bostonian Kim Deal of the Pixies.

As for me, I dig plenty of artists in their 20's, like Lily Allen and Lady Sovereign, but they draw on influences closer to my heart, i.e. Madness, X-Ray Spex, etc. Consequently, I forget about age when I listen to their albums. That's how it should be. As for Cheater Pint, the kids are all right, but I'm not a kid anymore.



Endnote: In looking at the band, it occurs to me that they might actually be in their 30s. Still, their music has a youthful sound, and attracts, presumably, a youthful audience—not that
I consider 30 old! (Or 40, 50, or even 60.) For more information about Cheater Pint, please see their MySpace Page or their official website (from which I swiped these fine photographs).