The Leftovers

A new album and a tenuous connection to the Queers bring the Leftovers to Churchill's on Friday.

Nowadays Portland, Maine, is the U.S. capital of DIY when you're talking north of Boston. Somewhere hidden among the city's too-fucking-quaint tourist traps and laughably expensive lobster joints dwell the Leftovers, now pushing their upcoming fourth record, On the Move. Live versions of the album's pop-punk tunes will be summarily stuffed down the ear holes of Churchill's faithful this week.

Drummer Adam Woronoff played with the Queers for a gnat's lifespan, which gives him some measure of cool; the Queers have lorded over the southern Maine/seacoast New Hampshire punk scene since 1982. He's looking forward to hearing what Miamians make of the stuff. "We spent a good amount of time adding cool vocal harmonies, handclaps, tambourines, cool little guitar parts, organ solos, and stuff," he says, clearly amped about it. "This was the first time we've had more than two days to make a record, and it definitely showed." And so it does; their label, Rally Records, has clearly tossed a few shekels their way.

Woronoff accurately describes the band's sound as a free-for-all among the Beatles, the Ramones, the Beach Boys, the Romantics, Cheap Trick, Green Day, Screeching Weasel, the Riverdales, the soundtrack for That Thing You Do! ... and, of course, the Queers. -- Eric W. Saeger