For the uninitiated, "garage rock" can be a bit daunting. On the surface, this genre seems like little more than some freaked-out rock and roll wannabes who just couldn't get the hang of their instruments. Angst-filled wailing passing for vocals, over barely tuned guitars and haphazard banging that often makes Little Ricky sound like Buddy Rich on the drums, garage rock is not for the weak. But anyone who has experienced the raw energy, fire and imagination of the bands that make up such classic collections as the "NUGGETS" and "PEBBLES" box sets, knows that these groups, world-renowned and hardly known, make up a genre that has influenced everyone from Black Sabbath and Nirvana to Matthew Sweet and The Flaming Lips, and of course, "The Boss," Bruce Springsteen.
One band that is taking the psychedelic, frat-rock sounds of the sixties to a new level is NYC's "The Electric Mess." On two separate occasions, the most recent being last night at The Mercury Lounge on the lower east side of Manhattan, I've been bugged out and blasted by their raw power and subtle theatrics on stage. Combining original material with mid-60s obscurities by bands like Jiinx, The Spiders, The Turtles and The Pretty Things, The Electric Mess are not just entertainers, they are musicians. The rhythm section of Stoney Roma on bass and Lorenzo Bang on drums is a powerhouse. These guys are masters of their instruments; too good for these tunes, which only makes this band all the more dynamic.
Their back story, written with tongue pressed firmly in cheek, can be found at The Electric Mess MY SPACE PAGE. I strongly suggest you taking 5 minutes and reading it. You will not be disappointed.
'The videos below, while immensely entertaining, do little justice to what frontman Chip Fontaine can do to you in person. (S)he is an artist, first and foremost, and that talent is dished out generously throughout each performance.
Go see The Electric Mess. I predict big things. Remember, you heard it here first.
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