The Frantics
The Frantics combine the teen-idol-gone-mad pop of the Bay City Rollers and the sly humor of Weezer, with a dash of the rough-and-tumble style of the Foo Fighte
95
plays
Frantics instantly transport you back a few decades when groups such as The Cars and The Knack ruled the airwaves and being labeled a pop band wasn't an insult. The Frantics combine the teen-idol-gone-mad pop of the Bay City Rollers and the sly humor of Weezer, with a dash of the rough-and-tumble style of the Foo Fighters added for good measure. They are part of the new-class of bands hailing the return of true pop!
With ragged charm, The Frantics bring together the Captain Crunch sweetness of two guitars, harmonies, handclaps and a sense of irony that makes their music at once familiar, yet new. Drummer Derek Sorrells confirms that The Frantics' flashback vibe is completely spontaneous. "We'd like to tell you that this style was planned, but it was pretty much an accident. The more we kicked ideas around, the more we realized that we had something totally retro." Vocalist Chris Shandrow adds, "The Frantics doesn't sound like anything we discussed. It totally came from us combining different styles. Derek is like a musical encyclopedia; he even likes AM Gold. John loves '80s glam rock; Matthew is real up on modern stuff, and I like classic hard rock, like Led Zeppelin."
The origin of The Frantics began in the mid 90's with Matthew Martin (bass), Jon Gilbert (guitar), and Derek (all from Madisonville, KY) playing together for about two years as "Homesick." In 1997, the three hooked up with Chris (from Bloomington, IL) and backed another vocalist. They played together for about a year and a half until, as Chris explains "We decided we wanted to do our own thing, but we actually went our separate ways for a while, and played in some other bands that didn't work out."
After a short period, the guys came back together and started writing. When they decided to record, in keeping with the off-the-cuff nature of many vintage pop recordings, they tracked live. Consequently, "Meet The Frantics" connects instantly from the first track, "Not With A Bang," reminiscent of how "Let's Go" set the tone for The Car's "Candy-O" album. This also stemmed from their desire to take the energy of their live show and put it to tape. "We want our concerts to be non-stop energy. We're tired of bands that play a song, then talk to you for ten minutes, then play another song. And they stand in place, trying to be 'vibey' and artistic. We want to bring back the rock show," says Derek. "Like in the 80's," Chris continues, "Even if you didn't care for bands like Bon Jovi, they put on a great rock show. You don't see that anymore."
Chris' lyrics follow a theme throughout the album. "Our lyrics are mostly about every day life and the things that everyone goes through. A lot of "Meet The Frantics" is just about how our lives have changed this past year. We write lyrics that we'd like to think any one could relate to." With songs about not wanting to be a fabricated teen idol ("Top 40"); longings for summer vacations again ("Kids Of Summer"), to the realization class reunions are as fake as high school (Class Of Whenever"), "Meet The Frantics" covers well-known territory that makes records lovable. Like dusting off a '45' of "Saturday Night" from the Bay City Rollers and cranking the turntable, The Frantics debut sounds just as catchy, but without the scratches! Meet the Frantics and hear it for yourself!
Tualatin, OR
USA
ID
2678
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Comments (1)
OHHHHH how you guys ROCK ! Keep on doin what you do best ! Ravin Versus Flud
