Power-Popscurities: The Frantics (2000)

There was a slew of good power-pop bands from the aughts. There was, however, no excess of great ones. The Frantics exemplify the good category but they did write at least one song that flirted with greatness like a brazen hussy. Despite The Beatles-esque title, the band clearly love their Cheap Trick more than anything and some of the members (their line-up is murky) were connected to some eighties hair-metal bands, so you can expect some attempted Big Rock tricks to liven up (or drag down) a tight batch of songs. While Meet The Frantics came out on some Christian rock label, you'd never know unless you noted the ghostliness of their occasional Weezer-isms ("What's Up With Your Homey" is NOT an acceptable song title.) While, "Little Bit Good" is a fine power-pop ballad and "All the Same" is as well, the reason you need to know about this is the T.S. Elliot-referencing album opener, "Not With a Bang" which, despite its denial, does indeed kick off the album an "earth-shattering ka-boom".


(The Frantics - Not With a Bang)

Meet the Frantics link is is the comments.

Speaking of comments, is "Not With a Bang" a great undiscovered song or not?


This CD is available for one cent on Amazon (not the first or last thing posted here of which that could be said) and the members went on to form a band called London Calling (whose first album is called "New Sensation" which brings to mind a curious amalgam of The Clash and INXS.)