TSI are from New York. Combining punk and cool, they get right in your face. Reason enough to make them today’s choice for Track Of The Day. Check out all the latest Tracks Of The Day at www.classicrockmagazine.com/tag/track-of-the-dayWords: Sleazgrinder

Most of the bands I write about name themselves after either some female body part, or a car they can’t afford, but the latest subjects took the high road when they chose a moniker. Their name? TSI. It’s an acronym for The Situationist International – that’s right, the same old-timey political/artistic collective that influenced the Sex Pistols. I mean, if you believe Greil Marcus’s daffy Lipstick Traces book.  Just call ‘em TSI though, because, as they say in their bio, “The band now goes primarily by the acronym TSI due to a difficulty faced in remembering, spelling, and pronouncing their full name on the part of many fans and even some band members”.

TSI formed in ’04 in New York City. They consist of frontman/deep thinker Geoff Lenox, guitarist Dirty Migz, and “a revolving line-up of local NYC rock n’ roll elite”. That could mean anything, which is exciting. Maybe Lou Reed’s in the band?!

Anyway, they sent me their two-years-in-the-making debut, Hanging By A Thread, and it’s been in constant rotation at Casa de Sleaze ever since. TSI’s sound is mean, twin-barrel rock ‘n’ roll, equal parts Detroit scorch and NYC cool, powered with a snarling, Pistolsy, punk rock will to provoke. The album gets in and gets out with admirable economy, too; 10 tracks, every one of ‘em a winner. If you’re looking for a new favourite band, I may have found it.

What else? They formed their own label, Task Force Records, in 2007. This is their first release on said label. Makes sense. They once had a drummer who dressed like a nun, but was definitely not a nun. Also a bass player who wore a tutu. It gets crazy with these guys.

Here, courtesy the band, is Hands off My Rock ‘N’ Roll, the anthemic first single from Hanging By A Thread.:

http://rapidshare.com/files/318708146/05_Hands_Off_My_Rock_N__Roll.mp3

The album can be purchased directly from the band at their Myspace page: www.myspace.com/tsiband

They might even recruit you into their cabal. The Situationists are always looking for fresh meat.