Blue Sparks - Paint it Gold
2004

Lost in the post-Strokes deluge of NY rock-revivalists was Blue Sparks, an interesting quartet that had the talent but lacked the distinctive voice to get noticed. Of course, the other New York bands that achieved more success at the time--The Witnesses, Elefant, The Flesh, the Fever, Ambulance LTD--are all forgotten now too. Perhaps the band's biggest problem was their outsized expectactions. After the Strokes blew up overnight, every talented New York band thought they could do the same.

The Blue Sparks were actually far less rock-oriented than their press pics suggested. If they were retro-anything, it was more late-'80s college rock in the mold of the Feelies or Yo La Tengo. The quartet, fronted by Phil Aceto and Kerry Kennedy, were long touted as the best unsigned band in the area, but they only managed to release a five song, self-titled EP in 2004 before breaking up the next year.

"Paint it Gold" was written by Kennedy. I wonder what she is up to now...