Today, it’s The Upper Crust’s first full album, 1995’s Let Them Eat Rock. 
I know that almost nobody knows this band, and there are a few good reasons for this. They were never signed by a major label or went out on a national tour. They never had a song get any national radio play – I wonder if they got played on local radio where they were from? But this band is incredible, as long as you’re willing to buy-in on their very specific gimmick. I’ll get to that in a minute.
Some of you may know that when I moved back to NYC three years after finishing college, I came back to work with my friend’s band – Darlahood – as their roadie, assistant, etc. We played the rock clubs around the city as the band built up their new songs and their new lineup in search of a record deal. Sadly those clubs are almost all gone now. One night in early 1995, after we had loaded in our equipment at Brownie’s (on Avenue A between 10th & 11th St), we were hanging around backstage just … waiting, when these five guys walked in with their gear. If you had told me the name of their band was “The Longshoremen” I would’ve said “That’s a perfect name!” These guys were brawny, rough-hewn looking dudes from Massachusetts (their accents gave them away), and after clearing a path for them, I didn’t give them another thought.
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