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On the first shelf of my CD collection, sandwiched in between the Irish band A House and the jazzy, cinema noir-styled soundtracks of Barry Adamson, is a slim cardboard sleeve containing a homemade compilation CD by a sadly, now defunct Brooklyn band called Action Painters. I bought the CD from the band’s frontman, Tom Haslow after their fantastic show at the Ottobar in Baltimore back in 2007. Like many bands in my collection, it’s an absolute shame that Haslow (vocals/guitar) and bandmates Jon Levine (bass), Allison Zatarain (keyboards), and Amit Wehle (drums), never reached a wider audience. After releasing a trio of promising EP’s that all received critical acclaim, the band disappeared from the rock n’ roll stage and individually re-created themselves in the world of advertising, creative strategy, television, artist management, and copywriting. I’m glad I got to know them briefly before they did. And even though all the members of the band have found a successful home for their talents in other creative endeavors, I still think their music is worth championing. Twelve years ago they lit up the Ottobar’s shitty little stage with a contagious exuberance that convinced me I was witnessing “the next big thing.” It turns out they weren’t the next big thing, but every time I play their music, I still hear the promise of possibility, which is why “Absolutely Clear” by Action Painters is the Happy Medium Song of the Day. (Please use the comments box to share your thoughts.)
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Action Painters