The Cavemen Go

The Cavemen Go. Yes, they do. The Cavemen Go have kept going through more than a half decade; through two EPs (2003's The Cavemen Go and 2005's Never Part Again) and a full-length album (2009's New Lives); through countless shows at the clubs, bars, cafes and festivals of the Northeastern U.S. Through it all, they've come to be recognized as one of the finest pop bands of the region, consistently solid in songcraft and performance, constantly growing and honing their sound to an ever-sharper point.

Even from the time The Cavemen Go first emerged as a duo (singer/guitarist Jeremy Sage and drummer Bob Breychak) in 2003 during the fertile days of the New Haven garage-pop mini-explosion, the band was markedly distinct from their peers. Sage's songwriting channeled the no-frills, hook-heavy sounds of early rock'n'roll without coming off as self-consciously retro. His lyrics and singing conveyed an unabashedly hopeful romanticism, but the kind tempered with dry wit and emotional ambiguity. Those creative tendencies have remained as The Cavemen Go have pushed forward, adding keyboardist/vocalist Emily McMinn and bassist/vocalist Brian LaRue. The Brill Building/British Invasion/Motown influences are still there, as are nods to the poppier end of contemporary indie rock, and even shades of country and folk-rock. Their songs are simultaneously modern and classic, nuanced and efficient. They don't play throwback pop: What they play is timeless. Last year, The Cavemen Go released their first full length record, “New Lives.” Showcasing the band's punchiest, most urgent melodies to date, the release brought them to the attention of the rapidly emerging label February Records who asked them to record something new. Now, “It is happening again.” With the opening line to their new single, “Someone’s Always Dying to Break My Heart,” The Cavemen Go announce their intention to continue where they left off: Writing and performing with an attitude that great songs matter.