Helper

New York City's Helper sprang to life in the mid-'90s, under the vision of bandleader Sam Rodd, with a highly satirical brand of wisecracking yet tuneful pop music. The group recorded its one and only nationally released full-length album — Supercatchy (Reverb Records)— as a three-piece in 1998, and the album claimed a decent amount of college radio activity and positive press. The band's personage has changed a few times since then, but Helper remains an active live band in New York.

A native of New York State, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Sam Rodd gathered plenty of material to feed his alternately (and sometimes simultaneously) cynical and hilarious diatribes against American mediocrity while growing up in the suburbs. Songs like "Sportsguy" and "Soon I'll Be Perfect" sound like happy ditties on the surface, but beneath the surprisingly infectious melodies are scathing lyrical indictments of the ignorant and superficial. After moving to New York City, Rodd assembled Helper, along with drummer Randy Lee and bassist Adam "K" Kiviat, and the trio developed a quirky pop sound that lies somewhere between Weezer and Frank Zappa.

Helper's debut, Supercatchy, collected some of Rodd's best material, including "Honeybee" and the single "Where Is the Sheep." Released on the indie Reverb label, the album enjoyed some college radio attention and good reviews, but didn't carry the band to the kind of heights that labelmates Nada Surf had reached. In 2000, Rodd expanded Helper to a four-piece, which now featured Aaron Hondrous (bass, vocals, production), Dave Shalansky (drums, vocals), and John Bardsley (second guitar, vocals). After gigging around in New York City, the retooled Helper returned to the studio to begin working on new material in 2001.