Bloodsugars take fans back to the ’80s

By John Benson

Despite the fact the title of the Bloodsugars’ recently released debut album “I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On” sounds, well, very emo, the indie-rock act’s singer-songwriter-guitarist Jason Rabinowitz confesses its origination was anything but trendy.

“It’s revelatory,” said Rabinowitz, calling from his Brooklyn, N.Y., home. “I had a very close family member going through cancer — and she did it; she came through. But this whole year, even into just the beginning of making this record, was the worst year in that regard ever. It was like very hard for everybody. And we’d keep hitting these walls, and it was like, ‘I can’t go on; I’ll go on.’ You had no choice; there is no choice and just shaking your devils loose. That’s kind of where it’s at.”

The singer said the new tunes that epitomize the album’s sentiment are current single “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” along with “Happiness” and “The Pedestrian Boogie” — all of which are upbeat dance numbers that harken back to another era.

Specifically, when the Bloodsugars first came together four years ago, the Big Apple band wanted to create a synth-pop pastiche of ’80s influences such as Hall & Oates, Evelyn “Champagne” King and Prince, along with hints of early garage rock (the Troggs and the Rolling Stones) and modern electro sounds (Daft Punk and Fischerspooner).

After years of honing their sound and a line-up shift, the Bloodsugars finally felt ready to move forward and record “I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On,” which the band describes as feeling like prom music from the ’80s. That can mean only one thing: the tunes sound like they belong on a John Hughes movie soundtrack.

“Exactly,” Rabinowitz laughed. “That stuff is kind of our heart and soul. We all grew up on that, and that’s kind of where we all meet. As musicians, we all come from slightly different places, which is really cool. And we all meet in this sort of like ’80s-ish zone where we all sort of grew up.”

That said, which Hughes soundtrack best fits what the Bloodsugars are all about?

“I’d say ‘Pretty in Pink,’” Rabinowitz said. “I love the Psychedelic Furs. I can just see some similarities in there. But obviously, we’re trying to take it another step further, and we’re not just doing it rote and trying to be regurgitating that sort of sound. We’re trying to do sort of our take on that.”

So the real test is whether Rabinowitz relates more to the preppie Blaine or the quirky Duckie?

“Definitely Duckie,” Rabinowitz said. “Totally. I am now and forever the Duck Man.”

With Duckie’s optimism, the Bloodsugars are now beginning to tour nationally. This includes a Cedars date suggested by Youngstown native and Frequent Season drummer Brad Meehan, who now calls New York City home. Rabinowitz said he’s excited about the band’s Youngstown debut Friday.

“Oh geez, if you like John Hughes, you’ll like us,” Rabinowitz said. “We’re just going to rock your face off and get people to dance.”