Social Dancing

Entertainment Weekly - "...the entire album has the irrepressible bounce of animation at its best." - Rating: A- Alternative Press - 3 out of 5 - "...making their catchy pop sound fit for a proper dance club....Bis are giving us their most diverse and thoughtful recording yet." Rolling Stone - 3 stars (out of 5) - "...songs as effervescent as a mouthful of Pop Rocks....They've aged their sweet teen-punk image into ear candy with a pleasingly tart aftertaste." Spin - 6 out of 10 - "...sets traditional teen-beat tirades about living in end-of-the-century oblivion to 15 years of disposable dance music...in an attempt to use the Man's techno tools to sandblast the clogged system..." CMJ - "...a refined sensibility....[their] energy levels remain in-the-red....SOCIAL DANCING is a mature and marked step forward for Scotland's...most fervent musical export." Magnet - "...Bis imbues its catchy pop songs withthe bratty attitude of young 20-somethings who still think they know everything....while [they] may not know everything, they certainly know a lot about making good music." Rolling Stone (9/16/99, p.117) - 3 stars (out of 5) - "...songs as effervescent as a mouthful of Pop Rocks....They've aged their sweet teen-punk image into ear candy with a pleasingly tart aftertaste." Spin (10/99, p.166) - 6 out of 10 - "...sets traditional teen-beat tirades about living in end-of-the-century oblivion to 15 years of disposable dance music...in an attempt to use the Man's techno tools to sandblast the clogged system..." CMJ (7/19/99, p.3) - "...a refined sensibility....[their] energy levels remain in-the-red....SOCIAL DANCING is a mature and marked step forward for Scotland's...most fervent musical export." Alternative Press (9/99, p.91) - 3 out of 5 - "...making their catchy pop sound fit for a proper dance club....Bis are giving us their most diverse and thoughtful recording yet." Entertainment Weekly (8/13/99, p.77) - "...the entire album has the irrepressible bounce of animation at its best." - Rating: A- Magnet (8-9/99, p.70) - "...Bis imbues its catchy pop songs withthe bratty attitude of young 20-somethings who still think they know everything....while [they] may not know everything, they certainly know a lot about making good music."

When Bis burst onto the scene with its uncompromisingly catchy debut, THE NEW TRANSISTOR HEROES, much was made of the trio's age. But in reality, Sci-Fi Steven, Manda Rin, and John Disco were not really that much younger than many members of other bands that had gained national exposure were. It is likely that the group's music, a bouncy, chewy pop confection coated with simple but earnest rants, fostered an exaggerated conception of its creators' youthfulness. If SOCIAL DANCING is any indication, Peter Pan will have nothing on Bis for agelessness as the Scottish twenty-somethings retain their knack for whipping up infectious, in-your-face, unrepentant ditties with sufficient sugar to spare.
The tracks on SOCIAL DANCING are a bit longer and more richly orchestrated than those on its predecessor; nowhere is Bis' blissful excess more delectable than on the operatic "Theme From Tokyo". The music is also more polished here, as evidenced by the rants against programmed music "Eurodisco" and "Action and Drama". Bis even throws in a totally straight and subdued (not to mention brilliantly beautiful) trip-hop duet with Olympia, Wash., indie rock mainstay Lois Maffeo, "Detour". SOCIAL DANCING makes clear that Bis' unrelenting punk energy won't fade anytime soon.|