With a name like Baby Teeth and a front man using the stage name Pearly Sweets, you can’t help but wonder if this band suffers from some kind of dental obsession we’re not meant to understand.
But Pearly Sweets himself, also known as Abraham Levitan, can tell you that it’s really just a coincidence.
“I knew from the beginning that I wanted the word ‘baby’ in the name – I wanted it to represent this naive conception of pop music,” Levitan says. “(Our bassist) Jim came up with using ‘teeth.’ It makes it nastier, which works for us.”
Baby Teeth rose from the ashes of different bands circa 2003 and is currently made up of Levitan, who also plays keyboard, bassist Jim Cooper and drummer Peter Andreadis. Levitan, who recruited his bandmates, calls the line-up his “greatest hits compilation of people.”
With music reviewers describing the band in a variety of ways – from ’70s-inspired pop to melodic blues-funk – Baby Teeth has managed to avoid sticking to any one category, something that Levitan says is a good thing.
“I’m glad they can’t pin it down,” he says with a laugh. “Music critics rely heavily on other bands to come up with descriptions. It’s a good sign because it’s their way of saying, ‘OK, we just don’t know.'”
When asked to put in his own two cents, Levitan says that to him, the band plays simply pure pop.
“Anything else is unintentional,” he says. “I’m just trying to get from Point A to Point B in a simple way. To sum it up, all the reviews are right.”
See the eclecticism and decide for yourself when Baby Teeth plays each of the next two Monday nights at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., where Levitan promises the crowd can expect something different each night.
Levitan describes Baby Teeth’s month-long gig at Schubas (they played the last two Mondays, as well) as a great chance to play with some favorite local bands and also as a time to experiment musically for the next album, the For the Heathers EP, set for release in March 2006.
“Every night we have a different instrument on stage,” he says. “Last week, we had a violinist. This week it’s a trombone player. We’re just trying stuff out and seeing what works.”
For the Heathers is the follow-up to Baby Teeth’s full length album, The Baby Teeth Album, released last June on Lujo Records. When asked if he was pleased with the band’s first attempt, Levitan gave a big “no.”
“It was a good place to start, but I want to make (this new EP) sound more like what’s in my head,” he says. “Anyone who likes it will enjoy what we do next even more.”
Lujo Records was established in 2001, making it fairly young in the music industry. While Baby Teeth’s current priorities involve taking it slow and building up its standing on a smaller label, Levitan says he wouldn’t necessarily rule out taking a deal from a major label. But it’s definitely a risk the band isn’t willing to take just yet.
“I think if you haven’t made a place for yourself on an indie label, the major ones will fuck with you,” Levitan says. “It’s like those sticky spiders – they’ll throw bands against a wall and see which one sticks. There’s no hurry to be on a major label.”
Baby Teeth also plans to avoid Chicago weather by cooping up in studios to work on the new record all winter. But when the band comes out of hiding in March to begin touring again, Levitan will emerge with a new name – the Artist Formerly Known as Pearly Sweets.
“I’ve used that fake name for a while, but I’m giving it up as of tonight,” he says.4
Medill sophomore Dani Garcia is a PLAY writer. She can be reached at [email protected].
