Susan Frances
01/19/08, 05:46 PM
Frankie and His Fingers - One Hell of a Skeleton
Record Label: None
Release Date: July 20, 2007
It is debatable whether Frankie and His Fingers play power pop or garage rock, but there is no denying that the trio of Frank McGinnis (lead vocalist/guitarist), Adam Stoutenburgh (bassist), and Samantha Niss (drums) has their own style facilitated by a complimenting balance between the two. Their music will remind you of artists who play at student unions on college campuses or those who stake out an area on park grounds, and once they start playing, they very quickly draw in a crowd. Whether you want to call this power pop, garage rock, college rock, or original rock, it is entirely a matter or your perspective, but whatever it is, the music is friendly and something to enjoy listening to in your pastime. The group’s latest record, One Hell of a Skeleton is a self-released EP that’s available at iTunes and CDbaby. The songs show the listener that the dynamics between the guitar, bass and drums don’t have to be sparse but can actually create full rounded melodies with the volume of a full orchestra. The music is loud without being overwhelming, melodic with a garage rock tinge, and have an earnest pathos for people as the lyrics outline what burdens peoples' thoughts and lets them know that Frankie and His Fingers joins them in those murky waters.
Frankie and His Fingers’ chemistry is different from other rock trios. They develop a fuller sound on their tracks like in “Kudos for the Stretcher Bruce,” which folds catchy guitar hooks into the ska-laden grooves, and “Doin’ the Jargow Jig,” which has a party-rock style and sing-along chorus. The combinations are a cross between Silversun Pickups and Razorlight with a raw edge in McGinnis’ vocals. The rhythmic movements on “The Love of Your Life, but Just for Thought” are luscious, and the dramatic vocal creases from McGinnis on “Shoes” latch onto Niss’ drum strikes with a tight synchronization.
Niss has an inclination to create contrasts and vary the patterns in her drumming. The outcome produces new melodic combinations that you wouldn’t consider to be experimental but just solid rock. The trio likes shaking up the dynamics and shifting their chord formations and hooks so each tune has rock hinges while changing the interaction between the guitar, bass and drums. McGinnis creates original guitar licks that stick in the listener’s mind. The frayed strokes of the guitar segments on “The Boys Who Cry” intensify the lyrics, “This pen is my only friend today / And it’ll last until the ink has drained away / And the paper soaks up all my thoughts so by now it probably knows my plot to save this world in my own pathetic way / And this heart it’s blistering with pain / It’s complimented by the lump in my throat.” The lyrics show compassion and a wish for things to get better.
Frankie and His Fingers make uncomplicated melodies that sound so complex. They are catchy in an understated way, fitting in the pop/rock realm without strategically making the songs overtly pop sounding. The group’s roots are based in being a college rock band which shows in their songs, but it does not mean that the trio lacks sophistication. Quite the contrary, their interplay has consonance and dynamic harmonies, and gives them an original rock sound. The trio has a lot of promise and it shows in their recent EP.
Website (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankie-And-His-Fingers/6085967738) | MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/frankieandhisfingers) | Buy (http://cdbaby.com/cd/frankiefingers)
Record Label: None
Release Date: July 20, 2007
It is debatable whether Frankie and His Fingers play power pop or garage rock, but there is no denying that the trio of Frank McGinnis (lead vocalist/guitarist), Adam Stoutenburgh (bassist), and Samantha Niss (drums) has their own style facilitated by a complimenting balance between the two. Their music will remind you of artists who play at student unions on college campuses or those who stake out an area on park grounds, and once they start playing, they very quickly draw in a crowd. Whether you want to call this power pop, garage rock, college rock, or original rock, it is entirely a matter or your perspective, but whatever it is, the music is friendly and something to enjoy listening to in your pastime. The group’s latest record, One Hell of a Skeleton is a self-released EP that’s available at iTunes and CDbaby. The songs show the listener that the dynamics between the guitar, bass and drums don’t have to be sparse but can actually create full rounded melodies with the volume of a full orchestra. The music is loud without being overwhelming, melodic with a garage rock tinge, and have an earnest pathos for people as the lyrics outline what burdens peoples' thoughts and lets them know that Frankie and His Fingers joins them in those murky waters.
Frankie and His Fingers’ chemistry is different from other rock trios. They develop a fuller sound on their tracks like in “Kudos for the Stretcher Bruce,” which folds catchy guitar hooks into the ska-laden grooves, and “Doin’ the Jargow Jig,” which has a party-rock style and sing-along chorus. The combinations are a cross between Silversun Pickups and Razorlight with a raw edge in McGinnis’ vocals. The rhythmic movements on “The Love of Your Life, but Just for Thought” are luscious, and the dramatic vocal creases from McGinnis on “Shoes” latch onto Niss’ drum strikes with a tight synchronization.
Niss has an inclination to create contrasts and vary the patterns in her drumming. The outcome produces new melodic combinations that you wouldn’t consider to be experimental but just solid rock. The trio likes shaking up the dynamics and shifting their chord formations and hooks so each tune has rock hinges while changing the interaction between the guitar, bass and drums. McGinnis creates original guitar licks that stick in the listener’s mind. The frayed strokes of the guitar segments on “The Boys Who Cry” intensify the lyrics, “This pen is my only friend today / And it’ll last until the ink has drained away / And the paper soaks up all my thoughts so by now it probably knows my plot to save this world in my own pathetic way / And this heart it’s blistering with pain / It’s complimented by the lump in my throat.” The lyrics show compassion and a wish for things to get better.
Frankie and His Fingers make uncomplicated melodies that sound so complex. They are catchy in an understated way, fitting in the pop/rock realm without strategically making the songs overtly pop sounding. The group’s roots are based in being a college rock band which shows in their songs, but it does not mean that the trio lacks sophistication. Quite the contrary, their interplay has consonance and dynamic harmonies, and gives them an original rock sound. The trio has a lot of promise and it shows in their recent EP.
Website (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankie-And-His-Fingers/6085967738) | MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/frankieandhisfingers) | Buy (http://cdbaby.com/cd/frankiefingers)