SINGLE REVIEW: Son of Dork – "Eddie’s Song"
Update: Check out the angry responses from Son of Dork fans in the comments!
It’s easy to criticise bands like this on an “I bet they can barely play their instruments” kind of level, so in this review for Gigwise I’ve tried to see Son of Dork for what they are. Unfortunately though, what they are is a not-as-good-as-Busted attempt to cop the style of a million other better bands.
Just what the world needs: a New Found Glory tribute band. Former Busted boy James Bourne fronts the five-piece Son of Dork, an act who so want to be American that you half expect ‘Eddie’s Song’ to morph into ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ at any time. Ineffective nods to rock authenticity – lyrics about groupies and an artificially beefed-up guitar sound – both scream “try hard”. It’s utterly charmless, and without the moments of guilty pop pleasure that fellow guitar phonies McFly sometimes offer, it’s difficult to see how SoD are going to compete. Those Yanks do punk-pop much better than us anyway.
how unfair why would they WANT to be american when they are british makes no sense yes the song isnt paticularly great but at least the do right their own things wich makes it respectible dont be so nasty
Anonymous
January 10, 2006 at 8:14 pm
WHAT A DICK!
Why the fuck would an English band want to sing American accent!? They wouldn’t..this is mainly down to their influences. You try singing along to New Found Glory and stuff like that (American bands), you would sing like an American.
Obviously you haven’t listened closely to this song, clear you fucking ears!
Anonymous
January 10, 2006 at 8:23 pm
Oh, but in my opinion, they don’t even sound American anyway.
(I’m the 2nd commenter)
Anonymous
January 10, 2006 at 8:30 pm
sorry dude but who the fuck do you think you are saying all the shit about son of dork.
They sound nothing like they’re american and you can barly juge the whole group from 2 fucking songs.
I think you should be more varful about what you write coz you’ve just offened loads of son of dork fanss you prick
Anonymous
January 10, 2006 at 10:15 pm
I haven’t actually heard Son of Dork (although I want to now, just to see what all the fuss is about). It occurs to me, though, that if these other posters really feel so strongly about SoD’s ability, they wouldn’t be afraid to put their name on their opinion.
Nice review – gotta love a piece of writing that gets a bit of controversy.
Elladine
January 10, 2006 at 10:35 pm
Ohh you got the teenies mad!
Anonymous
January 11, 2006 at 12:10 am
OK you Sons Of Dorks (heh) , calm down, it’s only a British pop band who want to be Green Day but are in fact posh boys who probably went to public school.
Pah. Kids. They DO sound American, in a bad way. And anyway, they’re shockingly rubbish. So there!
And to anonymous and their anonymous mates: Shouldn’t you be down the bus shelter trying to get a finger of fudge or a play on Vicky’s Eggg McMuffins or summink or nuffink?
DanProject76
January 11, 2006 at 12:31 am
Charming! But I agree about the “controversy” thing Elladine – “the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about”.
And I’m glad you and Dan both demonstrated that the ability to spell, punctuate and type hasn’t *completely* deserted everyone. There’s beautiful irony in the fact that the sentence “I think you should be more varful about what you write…” is littered with typos.
Jonathan
January 11, 2006 at 6:03 pm
FU!!!
Anonymous
January 15, 2006 at 11:12 am
Says it all that last post, doesn’t it?
Jonathan
January 15, 2006 at 2:39 pm
son of dork is a great band..so stop saying negative things about them ya’ll!! cause thats so pathetic
Anonymous
February 8, 2006 at 12:53 pm
son of dork is the best..
Anonymous
February 8, 2006 at 12:56 pm
WHAT A CUNT! How dare you insult sons of dork, they are a gr8 band!!1! who are you to say they are bad? Voicing an opinion!? Honestly, you’d think we had freedom of speech.
FelatioHornblower
May 11, 2006 at 10:31 pm
And by the way, nice blog. I enjoyed your Panic! at the disco review. I normally listen to them through headphones for fear of decapitation and rape, but now I will maybe listen to them on my computer. Not too loud though.
FelatioHornblower
May 11, 2006 at 10:39 pm
i know this is an old post
but i just found it. and i want to say that son of dork ARE NOT rubbish! how can you say james bourne tries to be american? and aswell, how are they attempting to copy “a million other better bands”
you’ve got to get your influences from somewhere
james bournes voice might sound a bit like the lead singer from new found glory’s voice, even i thought that, but he is not putting it on!
if you listen to their other songs AND busteds songs then you should cleary realise it’s just his voice.
son of dork are NOT a wannabe band. they do NOT want to be like blink 182 or new found glory or the starting line or whatever – have you ever thought that maybe they just want to be what they are? why should they change their style just so dicks like you like them? AND WTF HOW COULD YOU COMPARE THEM TO MCFLY? sure they appeal to pretty much the same audience , and they both are pop bands who play guitar AND THEY BOTH ADMIT THEY’RE POP, but they really dont sound all that much like each other
oh and btw maybe all the anonymous people just dont want people like you perving on them
wtf ive just written an essay but stuff like that makes me really mad
Anonymous
January 17, 2007 at 4:19 pm
EDDIE IS SO FUCKIN HOTT
Lilly
August 10, 2007 at 10:05 pm
git
james
November 14, 2007 at 1:18 pm
British punk pop bands are few, in fact are there any. Dont judge these guys for singing in american, that is just james borunes singing voice, he always used it. Plus, people are ALLOWED to like what they want. Even if you liked SOD you haters wouldn’t admit it, which is so sad. Grow up dudes
james
November 14, 2007 at 1:20 pm
I know this is sooo old and i know that SoD havent done anything and are on the verge of being extinct but i have to say this. I am gonna stick by them .. no matter what. You know why?? Coz i am a James Bourne fan and will support him through everything. Isn’t that the definition of a true fan?!?! And i only read this review because i heard that it caused some controversy. I never normally read reviews because i don’t like being told what i should listen to!! I have my own unique taste in music and no one can change that.
So just leave SoD alone .. for the sake of all the TRUE FANS!!
xxKelseyxx
Kelsey
January 17, 2008 at 9:17 am
I really do hope they get some new stuff out soon, here I am a 19 year old guy who likes SOD, and is a fan of pop punk, but I don’t give a crap about what ppl say, it’s what I like, im not gonna change because ppl say to. It’s OPINION if SOD suck, and they don’t, and neither did Busted, you guys just label them a boyband and think fuck it, so just leave them alone, what wold you rather listen to, them or steps, Busted were the best pop band in years, james better get some stuff out soon, we’re all waiting dude!
james
March 26, 2008 at 11:37 am
your pathetic. seriously you sit there and bitch on mcfly and son of dork and busted and how you think they have no talent when you are honest to god the biggest fag ive ever come accross. id love ot see you write lyrics, let alone music as meaningful and complex as these acts do.
just because you don’t like it doesnt make these talented musicians any less than what they are.
im not saying you have to like them i dont want you to like them becuse the idea of you being a fan of something so amazing disgusts me but until you can write a song that litterally millions around the world are moved by then go suck a giant floppy cock you muther fucking cunt.
[rant over]
Anonymous
May 9, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Srill not as good as New Found Glory.
Nick
May 13, 2008 at 10:51 am
2 comments above:
SoD are just shit. Face it. Want to hear my music and lyrics? I’ll give you the link to my myspace which has infinitely better music on it than you, or SoD or McFly, or Busted, or any teen girl ‘rock’ band will ever, ever create.
Pull your finger out of your arse and grow up.
“This song goes out to all the fakers”
Contradiction much? what with that NFG rip off accent? HAHA.
Anonymous
May 26, 2008 at 5:28 pm
First of all, has this reviewer acually listened to Son of Dork?
Has anyone here?
I find that British bands are so much funnier and have a better atmosphere to their music, than the Americans. Son of Dork has lyrics that are smart and witty (Well, duh, James wrote them) and they aren’t afraid to make fun of themselves
Son of Dork also has a skill that many American don’t had. They have the skill to make rude lyrics sound funny and good, without offending fans.
I think that everyone should stop being immature about them and just chill, why not go listen to some good music like Son of Dork, of instance.
Anonymous
August 27, 2008 at 3:30 pm
son of dork are terrible fabricated american skater wannabes. Just look at the video for christ sake.
I mean who the hell says ‘fanzine’.
Rory
August 29, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Haha look at all these chumps. The review is spot on, the band are a terrible waste of everybody’s time. They put on American accents because they want to try and flog CDs to the New Found Glory/Sum 41 market.. which was getting old even then. The problem is that although those bands were poor.. they were not trying to sound American and not writing watered down low fat songs. Son Of Dork were a terrible band, they have no musical integrity, no talent and no place in anybodies stereo/ipod/whatever.
HD
September 20, 2008 at 1:46 am