The American pop punk band Smoking Popes is from Chicago + features Josh Caterer’s crooning vocal style that was rare to the genre before.
He noted many great classic “crooners” as his influences, namely Elvis Costello who also influenced the singer to take the band toward pop music in the first place.
Now Josh you may know if you are a fan of Bayside… maybe!
Bayside released an acoustic version of their song Megan in which Josh sings on the 2nd verse. Following the collaboration, the two bands toured together before Smoking Popes “hibernation” period.
Years later, last year actually, Smoking Popes released a stream of their new album This is Only a Test, on Asian Man Records. The album received some incredibly high marks from critics especially for a “come back” type of release.
…Anyway, Josh’s gorgeous vocals do a top notch job of reviving this much-loved Charlie + The Chocolate Factory song originally sang by quirky + legendary Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka.
Somehow Caterer makes this feel like less of a guilty pleasure and more like heaven.
- Smoking Popes w/ Trapper Schoepp & The Shades
- FABTV: Elvis Costello “Pump It Up”
- Blink 182 Pick Up Lines
- Vans Warped Tour 2012 @ Pomona Fairplex
bshr indie music magazine 