After Philadelphia garage rock heroes Mondo Topless finally called it a day in 2011, keyboard man and group leader Sam Steinig wasted no time launching a new project, and The GTVs show he’s taken his love of cool sounds from the past and headed out in a new direction. On their debut album, Sh’Bang!, released by Teen Sound Records, the GTVs start with the raunchy guitars and booming drums of vintage garage rock and fuse them with classic soul and R&B influences, with Steinig making like Booker T. Jones, Alan Price, or Felix Cavaliere on the Hammond organ as the group writes hard-grooving tunes like “Left Me on the Corner” and “Mind the Gap.” While folks who have followed Steinig’s work in the past will recognize his stamp on this music, The GTVs are clearly a band and not just someone’s backing crew.
Baltimore vinyl imprint Hidden Volume released a 7″ single in early 2016 (Organ Donor b/w Here’s a Thing), an all-instrumental release recorded in mono by James Everhart and Will Donnelly, members of Low Cut Connie.The latest incarnation of the band (Patrick Crowling: Bass, Ron Wandover: Drums, and Vince Duane: Guitar) can hold down the backbeat, heat up the dance floor, or push these songs into high gear as the situation demands. Folks who dug Mondo Topless will certainly find lots to like in The GTVs, but if you’re down with the retro-soul scene or just dig R&B-flavored music, you should put The GTVs on your shopping list pronto.