We Are the Strike (2014) by The Str!ke

-- The Indie pop/rock's 2nd EP, a slight shift in sound from the big-band and funk rock sounds of their early originals to a more dance-oriented 1970s and 2000s hybrid.

Who are The Strike?

The Strike (formerly known as The Str!ke, and originally known as We Are the Strike) have mostly been localized in the American west. Starting in Provo, Utah, they expanded to Los Angeles, but have also toured internationally including:

• The Qingdao Beer Festival in China in 2017, where they played for over 6 weeks

• A 3-month residency at Q's Bar and Lounge in Dubai in 2018, hand-picked by the famed Quincy Jones himself to play 60 shows in 82 days (3 hour sets)

My association with this unique band began in 2009 when I boarded a plane bound for Accra, GHANA, and met Mr Brady Bills. He, like me and several other young adults, were off to a 24-month stint as missionaries, and we interacted multiple times over those 2 years. In 2013, he proudly announced on his Facebook page that his band, We Are the Strike, for whom he was then a lead guitarist, had won a contest and would be opening for Kelly Clarkson at a July 4th celebration outdoor concert for an audience of 40,000. I clicked the link to a good-quality recording of the two-song set they played there, and I became an instant Strike fan.

At that point, The Strike were a nine-member ensemble featuring (L to R in the photo): trombone. drummer, bass player, saxophone, lead singer (who sometimes plays acoustic guitar on quieter pieces), trumpet, guitar (lead or rhythm), keyboardist, and another guitar (lead or rhythm).

Their early recordings have all but disappeared from any streaming or purchasing platform, and are also difficult to find on YouTube. Here are a few examples (live links to YouTube at time of this post, no guarantees going forward!):

Do You Wanna Dance? was the first song I heard by them, and crown of their first EP

Show You Off Tonight was a concert favorite, never recorded for release.

A 45-minute performance and interview session on a radio show called Hwy 89, while not their greatest performances, has clear sound quality (unlike cell-phone bootlegs) and some excellent examples of their exciting and unique early sound, including "Wrapped Up In You" (21:45), "Predator" (30:42) with an awesome classic-rock outro, and "I'm Leaving You" (42:00).

In their live performances, they had some gnarly covers of songs by Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Prince, The Beach Boys, and many others.

We Are the Strike EP - about this album

• This 5-song EP was a slight departure from their usual tunes, a lot smoother, still 1970s influence, with more polished sound, extra sound effects, more synthesizer, and a little more fusion of 21st-century music styles.

• Like their earlier works, these tunes are hard to find. I purchased the digital album and also saw them perform live in Boise in early 2014. Currently, videos of all 5 songs on the album can be found on Top10 Music channel on YouTube.

Songs on the EP (with links to Top10 Music's YouTube videos)

1. One Night of You: probably the strongest and most popular track on the album, and of all their early songs was probably the most recently included in live performances. It sounds like a close cousin to Bruno Mars' "Treasure."

2. Get Lost With You: has an interesting "rap" section featuring fellow Provo musician Mimi Knowles. Not my favorite initially, but it grew on me.

3. On My Mind: hands-down my favorite song from this album, and easily in my Top 3 of all their records to-date. The brass section in the middle is a little awkward, but it recovers quickly. At a friend's birthday party, there was unplanned lip-syncing contest and I selected this one and did pretty well (they respected my wishes to NOT post the video on social media).

4. Tomorrow Morning: a very 1970s-influenced pop song, ideal for dancing New York Hustle. I selected this to be in the playlist for my wedding reception, due to its danceability and clean lyrics.

5. Wrapped Up In You: accompanied only by piano and a lush string orchestra arrangement, a very unique closer to the EP. When played live, the strings part was condensed to a solo violin. My only complaint is that at the song's climax, the orchestra overshadows Jake Justice's piano virtuosity. Those who have only heard the studio release can rightfully be fully satisfied, it is a great song and beautiful recording. For those interested, the song can be heard sans strings on the afore-mentioned Hwy 89 Radio show.

Ending remarks

I honestly continue to feel The Strike were an underrated and too-late discovered band, so never fear, their subsequent albums will be featured on this blog at some point!