05/26/08
Text: Nik Mercer
Every shoe company has that one shoe that is immediately recognizable, iconic, and widely loved. Unfortunately, the origins of that main sneaker tend to be shrouded in mystery and diluted by the passing of time. PF Flyers' famous Bob Cousy kick, for example, is the brand's most ubiquitous creation, but outside of maybe noting that the renowned basketball player, Bob Cousy, sported the kicks (hence the name!), consumers know little about the history and story of the product.
A musical collaboration with Dangerbird Records, though, is meant to solve that problem for PF Flyers. The two put their brains together for a short, four-track mixtape that features covers of tunes from 1956 (the Bob Cousy shoe's year of origin) called Modern 56. It's actually rather good! The bands featured include New Zealand's Dappled Cities, The One AM Radio, Eulogies, and Darker My Love, except instead of pumping out brand-spanking new pop nuggets, the four outfits reinterpreted 1950s pop songs by Sanford Clark, Mickey & Sylvia, Gogi Grant, and Jim Lowe. Yeah, those names may not be known to anyone younger than seventy or so, but the nostalgic vibe of the compilation and sincere thought is what counts, right? And maybe PF Flyers/Dangerbird Records will pick up some new Ye Olde Pop Music fans from this endeavor!
