First loves make great stories. They’re passionate, intense, sincere–and they frame your future and the person you’ll become. Pretty much anyone can get suckered in to the drama of tales of a first love. Kevin Devine’s first love was Guns ‘n Roses.

That’s not to say that he and the other members of The Miracle of 86–bassist Christian McAllen and drummer/percussionist Joey Martin (Devine sings and plays guitar)–write songs about chicks and booze while parading around in stretch pants and bandanas (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It only tells you something important about where his heart is: Music. He found his first love in a rock band, and Miracle of 86 comes through simply, without pretense, as a group of guys who love to write and play rock music.

"I just want to write really good songs that I would like if I was an outside listener," says Devine. "Smart, catchy, heartfelt songs that I can get excited about playing in front of people and that I can get excited about listening to."

Others have been excited about listening to them too–including Deep Elm Records, who included their "Teenage Unity Song" on the Emo Diaries II compilation in 1998. These comps helped get the word out about the likes of Jimmy Eat World, Jejune and Samiam, and have continued to be a staple among kids in the scene. Defining themselves through a scene, though, just comes through as too narrow for a group of guys with influences that flow from the introspection of Simon and Garfunkel and the Smiths to the grit of Nirvana and The Misfits.

"I don’t think we sound like a lot of other bands, particularly in this scene, because our individual musical influences are so broad," Devine says. "I think we’re slightly too removed from emo-core to really fit in there, not quirky enough to be an indie rock band, not streamlined enough to be a pop band, too rockish to be singer/songwriters, not angry or issue-oriented enough to be a punk band. Pieces of all of those things are apparent in our sound, so we just play and see who likes it."

"I don’t like herds of people following each other around with no goals or individuality," says Martin, "so I guess I’m not a scene guy."

It’s the very simple, honest approach that these guys take towards music that will set them apart from the stuff that’s destroying rock music; your Limp Bizkits and your Korns that are following a formula for heavy rotation on Total Request Live. They’re trying to take the things that made them fall in love with music and turn them into something new–something that can make the kids that are searching for something real fall in love–and they’re only doing it because they want to make music. This doesn’t mean that they fall into the stereotypical "we’re too indie to want popularity " mentality either, though.

"We wouldn’t sell our souls for a hit record," Devine says, "but we don’t abide by some ‘radio and MTV is automatically awful and its followers should be condemned’ ethic, because I heard U2 and REM on the radio and saw them on MTV, and they’re great bands with integrity and serious talent."

"I just want to see people enjoy themselves when they hear us," adds McAllen. "I don’t care about being cool or having cred or anything else."

MTV aside, the Miracle of 86 have a busy year ahead of them, with a debut full length coming out on Fadeaway records in December, a track on a Fadeaway comp with the Get Up Kids, Reggie And The Full Effect, and Jejune among others, an upcoming four-song seven inch on a German label, and a track on a Dinosaur Jr. tribute album. Preparing for all this on top of playing with bands like Boy Sets Fire and Six Going On Seven, adding a track to The First Time Records’ Smiths compilation (which includes Radiohead and The Cardigans, to name a few) and juggling college careers, and it’s obvious these guys don’t slack in any capacity. They’re young, they’re driven, and overall, they’re in love with making music. If you’re curious about what being in love sounds like, give them a listen.

Fadeaway Records, 1999

www.fadeawayrecords.com

Contact: Mike Dubin — mike@fadeawayrecords.com