Hoy means today

Hi folks. I'm in the midst of a pre-semester freak-out--school starts next week--but I wanted to take care of something I should have done a long time ago: talk a bit about "Forever Endeavour," the latest album by NYC rock trio Hoy.

Hoy's namesake is singer/guitarist Greg Hoy, a transplant from Pittsburgh known best perhaps for his work with the late-great Pittsburgh emo outfit Sunday Driver. Hoy is a prolific musician: he's also a member of Yearbook (featuring fellow Sunday Driver Mike Knapp), and the brains behind the digital alchemy of Brainstorm Sheen. I've been following Hoy (the man, not the band) for years, since the days of Swell and the short-lived Absence of Grammar. With Hoy (the band), Hoy (the man) has done some of his best work: one perfect piece of hard-rock candy after another, sweet enough to rot teeth, each with the polish of a single. Hoy's voice is ballsy and natural (a long way from the early days), though the songs, not the singer, drive this album. At times I was reminded of "Animalize"-era KISS, which is a high compliment, but the band shares most of its DNA with bands like Fountains of Wayne and the Dandy Warhols: the heirs to the Cheap Trick throne. Nearly each track is single-quality; among the best are "Calling Amsterdam" and the first track, "2 Fingers Crossed." The only dog on the album is "Calling Tokyo" (apparently, the band enjoys phoning cities around the world), which really only weak in comparison to the tracks that precede it.

Hoy's website is www.hoyrocks.com, and "Forever Endeavour" is available on iTunes. Check it out today.

Cheers.