Guest Author - Sarah Spann

When the 82nd Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade made its way down Broadway this year fans were greeted by the celebration and pageantry that has made the annual parade a dearly held Thanksgiving tradition for many Americans. Those who attended in person or watched the parade on television were treated to an array of ear candy from fan favorites as well as a few new faces – all delivering holiday cheer in the form of delicious pop music morsels.

Of course Shontelle blew many viewers away with her beautiful voice (singing one of my favorite songs of the moment “TShirt” – more on that in an upcoming article), Miley Cyrus looked adorable, David Archuleta reminded all of us why we fell in love with him on American Idol, and the Clique Girls made all adults in living rooms across the country say “Awww”. Not to mention all of the other talented performers who helped make this year’s parade simply amazing. However, what I want to talk about is the U.S. Postal Service float – oh, and the five guys who happened to be singing and dancing on said float. Yes, I’m talking about a “boy band”.

Varsity Fanclub is made up of Jayk Purdy, Thomas Fiss, Drew Ryan Scott, David Lei Brandt, and Bobby Edner. These five guys bring with them smooth vocals, top-notch tight harmonies, catchy lyrics, and pretty decent dance moves – not mention they’re adorable. Their sound is reminiscent of the chart topping boy bands of the late 90s, as is their obvious grooming by their record label, but they have also managed to infuse a little something special into their music–a little unique personality—that makes this boy band well worth a listen. Many have been giving them a listen too, with the group seeing steadily rising plays and fan friend requests on MySpace. It seems all signs are pointing to “go” for Varsity Fanclub. If they can avoid coming off as too contrived or groomed, and can continually infuse authentic personality into their music, I think their vocals and stage presence will take them far. This five-some definitely has me bobbing my head, tapping my foot, and attempting to sing along with their first single “Future Love” – an up-tempo catchy tune that, though disposable, provides a great first impression. Varsity Fanclub’s self-titled debut album will be released on January 13th, 2009. In the meantime check out their first single “Future Love” on MySpace, and don’t forget to watch the video for the single on YouTube.