The Codes

You know that Hall and Oates are from Philadelphia. You know that Joan Jett is from Philly also. I’m sure you’ve heard of Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff…..also from Philly. And for those of you who remember The Hooters brief run at musical stardom, they too were from Philly. I’m now letting you know about the next big musical act that will be hitting the national music scene from Philadelphia: The Codes.

I’m biased a bit because I’ve worked with JJ (rhythm guitar) for over a year, and I know Ian (vocals, guitar) from my disc golf endeavors. But the band is really good. Their sound is a mix of rock and alternative, bringing to mind (to me) Buffalo Tom and early Wilco. They are great guys, and the band is really good.

I’m telling you all of this now because when they hit it big, I want all of you to know that I knew them before you did! Ha ha!

They formed in July of 2006, when JJ (drums at the time) and Ian (guitar) left another band they were part of in order to pursue a sound that they found to be more of their style than the band they were in. With Ian on guitar, and JJ moving to rhythm guitar, they recruited friend Jay to pick up the bass, and found Rennie to take over on the skins. Working diligently in the confines of Ian’s South Philly apartment, they began molding Ian’s guitar-based songs into a group sound, and were rapidly getting ready to start playing some live shows. But, they lacked a name. They put out a call to their friends to help them come up with a name for the band. I had my input: Dos Entendres; Flak Jacket; How To Talk Yankee; Pyroclastic Flow; Joe Mason Is Great. All were considered (except the last one!), as were other names thrown at them by other friends before they settled on their own choice, The Codes.

They’ve been getting some stage time lately around Philly, and also did a gig at the Knitting Factory in New York, a location they’ll be visiting again on January 31, 2007. This past Tuesday, on December 19th, they played at The MRoom in Philadelphia as part of a 3-band show. Playing second of the three bands, they rocked the place. They were tight, and the crowd of about 60 people was totally into them. The set included Honor Plan, Cara, Forty-Foot Betty Joe, Nelson Rockefeller, Houseboat, and Push Button Nose, to name just a few of the tunes they rocked out that night.

Rumor is that there may be some studio time coming up soon for the band, so there's hope to be able to get them on a CD real soon. And, with stickers already available, and TShirts on the way, The Codes are set to release their musical genius on the world, and the world will be a better place for it.

If you’re in the Philly area, and have time to check them out, you can follow their show schedule on their website: thecodes.net. If you happen to live in the New York City area, be sure to swing by their show at the Knitting Factory on January 31.

Trust me when I say: Dos Entendres….er……I mean, THE CODES are gonna be wicked huge!