The Guestlist w/ Young and Brave

Young and Brave is a talented Denton band with a knack for seamlessly weaving different musical styles, just a few of which are 70s country, 60s pop, Motown and gospel. Their music and live act have evolved greatly over their two-year life span (in fact, their new songs are much more complex and layered than on their self-titled EP) and they are a band to watch. Big things are surely in their future.

See for yourself when they play at Andy's on Friday, April 23, along with RTB2, Roy Robertson and Jessie Frye. In honor of the upcoming show we asked the band to tell us their favorite TV theme songs and each member chose one.


"Our Favorite TV Theme Songs" by Young And Brave
Ian Mesey (bass, backing vocals):
X-Men: The Animated Series theme.

Is there any song that could possibly get you more pumped than this? Every Saturday morning, my best friend Alex and I were whipped into a veritable frenzy by this song. It was written by Ron Wasserman, who seemed to have tapped directly into my adrenaline glands as he later wrote the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers theme song as well. Jon recently rustled my nostalgia and love for this song (not to mention my childhood cartoon crush on Rogue) when he brought a season over on DVD. It would not be a stretch to say that the X-Men theme song developed my taste for metal and (later) hardcore.


Sarah Lynn Fisher (vocals, keys):
"Hey Sandy" - Polaris (Theme song of The Adventures of Pete and Pete)

You might know that The Adventures of Pete and Pete was a pretty awesome show, and not only because Iggy Pop and Michael Stipe were guest stars and Little Pete's best friend was Artie, the Strongest Man in the World. The show also had its own house band, Polaris, who contributed several songs to the soundtrack and appeared on the show a few times, mostly notably performing the show's theme song, "Hey Sandy", in the opening credits. "Hey Sandy" is a great example of mid-90s alternative rock (i.e., R.E.M. and The Lemonheads) and is pretty catchy despite the largely unintelligible lyrics. One summer I ate way too many Frosted Mini Wheats in order to collect enough UPC labels to send away for a cassette entitled Happily Deranged, Music from The Adventures of Pete and Pete, narrated by Big Pete and including "Hey Sandy". It remains one of my prized possessions.

Jon McKnight (vocals, guitar):
"Angela" - Bob James (Theme song of Taxi)

I had a really hard time choosing a favorite theme song, but this one just kept sticking out to me. I love this theme. There are very few television themes that really evoke any kind of emotion for me, aside from the "hey, cool, I'm about to watch a sitcom." This one is different. I can't seem to place a finger on why, but I get a deeply nostalgic feeling when I hear this song. It's inspired that feeling in me for as long as I can remember, and it, as television themes go, is about as well thought out and beautiful as they come. And I loved the show as well. I remember watching with my mother as a little kid, and being introduced to actors that I would grow to love as an adult. (Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, and of course Andy Kaufman.)


Matt Shasteen (guitar, lap steel, keys, backing vocals):
"My Life" - Billy Joel (Theme song of Bosom Buddies)

...because it conjures up images of a young Peter Scollari in his prime.

Ramon Muzquiz (drums/percussion, backing vocals):
"Italian Leather Sofa" - Cake (Theme song of Mission Hill)

When I was in high school I remember seeing this show when it premiered (I think it was on the WB) with my family at dinner. No one liked it but me and like every good animated show that isn't on Fox, it was cancelled shortly thereafter. Low and behold the good people at Adult Swim took over the show and sometime (about a year later I think) I had seen the whole series, a year after that or so when the giant Virgin mega store on Mockingbird was closing I picked up the whole series (one season) for less than 15$. I cherish this intro every time I hear it. I've never been a huge Cake fan but this song would always get stuck in my head for days after seeing the show. I do remember once while on a road trip when I was even younger I stole my sister's portable CD player and Cake album "Fashion Nugget." I listened to the song "The Distance" about 10 million times; I was totally transfixed. It's funny to think that if I could have taken my finger off the repeat button once or twice I could have known this song sooner. It's a good jam and on the album it's actually a little slower and laid back.

-Jesseca