photo courtesy of perfectsalesman.com

Today, there are many bands wallowing in hazy bars, playing popular cover tunes that will get drunken applause—no matter how poorly they resemble the originals.

Those that perform original material are lost in a market saturated with hardcore and metal acts. Perfect Salesman is not one of these bands.

With a distinguishable punk sound tinged with hints of Journey, Plattsburgh's Perfect Salesman is attracting the attention of the industry. They were invited to play the New York City stop of the 2002 Warped Tour and have shared the stage elsewhere with bands such as The Slackers, River City Rebels, and Drowningman—all New England area heavyweights.

The current lineup of Perfect Salesman has been together for two years: Dan Bushey - vocals and guitar, Jaime Durivage - vocals and guitar, Mikey Lemieux - drums, and Josh Forgette - bass. Dan and Jaime are former members of Hobnail, a band that was popular in the Burlington scene in years past.

In March of 2002 the band went into the studio and came out with Maybe Next Year, a melodic punk album with catchy hooks and driving guitars.

Lyrically, the songs deal with the areas' stagnant music scene, lying ("Gameface"), death ("He's Watching") and a lack of dedication ("Deadbeat"). While lyrical prowess takes a backseat to the songwriting on most tracks, everything comes together on "Christian Vacation", a well-developed tune ready for some airplay.

The best punk song is hidden at the end of the album. At the end of "Everyday's Another Maze," the last track, are snippets from the male end of a romantic telephone conversation. Suffer through the mush and your reward shall be great.

Maybe Next Year can be found at Peacock Music in Plattsburgh, or visit the band's website: www.perfectsalesman.com

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