Brash, melodic, and imbued with a more-than-healthy sense of British ock tradition, the Fratellis and their debut album, Costello Music, come across almost like a caricature of bands like the Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things, and Arctic Monkeys -- but at least it's a flattering one. The Fratellis take themselves a lot less seriously than some of the other laddish bands popular in the U.K. in the late 2000s, and emphasize hooks and fun rather than samey-sounding ock. Songs like "Baby Fratelli" and "The Gutterati" have a singalong simplicity, and it feels like the band puts as many "la la la"s and "ba da ba"s into each song as they can -- and then try to cram in a few more. Costello Music's best tracks go even farther with the band's fun-only agenda; it's easy to hear why "Flathead" -- which switches between grinding, aggressive verses and a downright giddy chorus with more of those "ba da bop a dah" hooks -- was picked to soundtrack a fittingly day-glo, kinetic iPod TV commercial. The outstanding single "Chelsea Dagger" is just as vibrant, a swaggering glam ock nugget with pints-aloft choruses. "Henrietta"'s loopy catchiness owes a debt to vaudeville or musical comedy, and not just because Jon Fratelli sings "wa wa wa waaaahhh" along with the guitar solo; "For the Girl," meanwhile, has a melody so strong, it could've been a hit anytime between the '60s and the '90s. Elsewhere on Costello Music, the Fratellis show off their knowledge of other corners of ock history: "Vince the Lovable Stoner" is appealing faux country-rock; "Doginabag" adds some lues and grit to their sound; and "Creepin' Up the Back Stairs" nods to '50s ock and skiffle. Even when the band gets a little more complex, as on the darkly twangy "Got Ma Nuts from a Hippy," they keep the focus on rapid-fire rhythms and air guitar-ready solos. Indeed, Costello Music is so high-energy, it's almost too much to take in one sitting. Then again, this music wasn't made for sitting, it was made for dancing yourself silly. They might not have the cultural or historical impact of some of their peers, but the Fratellis are a lot of fun in the moment -- whenever that moment is.
If you're like me, and I have a eerie feeling you probably are to some extent, you're half annoyed, half intrigued by the near constant flow of new post-punk pub bands who quantify themselves with the definite article "The" prefixing the noun of their name. The Strokes, The View, The Vines, The Bravery, The Futureheads, The Hives, The Killers, The Sounds, The Rapture, The Raveonettes....etc, e...
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The Fratellis(Harlow's, Sacramento, 4/29/07)I can keep this concert review very short. As I walk the four blocks over to Harlow's to arrive at the venue at 9:15pm, what do I find but a "show canceled" note at the door and a salsa dancing lesson proceeding in full strut. First Placebo cancels on Wednesday. Now this (decidedly less exciting and significant, but still potentially fun) event comes ...
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I don't know why, but I really like the new iPod commercial, simply because of its catchy tune.
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For charity, the DJs of Dutch radio station 3FM locked themselves up in a glass house for a couple of days while starving themselves, and you could make a small donation and request a song. One of the most, if not the most, requested song was "Chelsea Dagger" by The Fratellis, causing a gigantic hype around the band. Luckily, the Fratellis were going to play three concerts in Holland, one in He...
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It's not often that I take blind advice from a record store. But this is the one time I am really glad I did. The Fratellis' debut album, Costello Music hasn't been released stateside, it's only available as an import. (Once again, really tough for me to dump down $20 for a record I have never heard)But I recommend that you grab it when it comes out. Picking up where The Libertines left off, bu...
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...But there's nothing like a bit of lad rock/soft porn to liven up a sunday, courtesy of The FratellisAlso apologies to Anna, as I know you can't see it :(But I'd recommend this album to anyone.
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I can smell the streets of urban Britannia eminating from The Fratelli's 'Costello Music' like it's last nights kebab left to bake on the pavement. This isn't just a collection of songs, each song is a short story, almost filmic and packed to the brim with a cast of colorful characters. The homeless man with the tatty dog, the glamour model, the over zealous groupie, drug dealer and so on. Cost...
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This one is *_"For the Girl"_* ;)So this is how it's done !!! A man in a suit rings my bell & suddenly I am holding in my hands an oversized package from you know who !!!Oh... you don't ?!? Well I do. & for some truly strange reason... I thought it might be just who it is & let me just say... I am one lucky & one happily blissed out girl with the eyes of green. Not only did my beloved SS s...
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It is officially Tuesday here in Ohio...so I will go ahead and get my Coachella band of the day post out of the way....and these guys are currently shooting up the 'bands I can't miss' list....i mean this lyric alone has me loving them "she was into the Stones when I was into the Roses"...go buy their record 'Costello Music'....totally infectious!
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The Fratellis(Harlow's, Sacramento, 4/29/07)I can keep this concert review very short. As I walk the four blocks over to Harlow's to arrive at the venue at 9:15pm, what do I find but a "show canceled" note at the door and a salsa dancing lesson proceeding in full strut. First Placebo cancels on Wednesday. Now this (decidedly less exciting and significant, but still potentially fun) event comes ...
More >
I always wondered how people got the energy to work a full day at work then come home and do home renovation projects. Then we found out we will be traveling in 2-3 weeks to bring home our son. Deadlines have a way of focusing the mind. And since I'm trying to drink less than 4 cups of joe a day, I needed something to keep me going. Enter my friend and co-worker who earned EMCD status by p...
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If you're like me, and I have a eerie feeling you probably are to some extent, you're half annoyed, half intrigued by the near constant flow of new post-punk pub bands who quantify themselves with the definite article "The" prefixing the noun of their name. The Strokes, The View, The Vines, The Bravery, The Futureheads, The Hives, The Killers, The Sounds, The Rapture, The Raveonettes....etc, e...
More >
...But there's nothing like a bit of lad rock/soft porn to liven up a sunday, courtesy of The FratellisAlso apologies to Anna, as I know you can't see it :(But I'd recommend this album to anyone.
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If you've seen the Fratellis live, I have a question for you. I quite enjoy a few of the songs on Costello Music ("Henrietta," "Flathead," "Whistle For The Choir"), but much of the rest of the material isn't that exciting, and overall they sound to me like another faddy but disposable Brit-pop band, certainly worse than the similar-sounding Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things. I certainly wouldn...
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for just some fun rock and roll this band and disc are for you, just play enjoyablemog.comMore about this songShare
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another good tune from this new band, check out videos on youtube
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For charity, the DJs of Dutch radio station 3FM locked themselves up in a glass house for a couple of days while starving themselves, and you could make a small donation and request a song. One of the most, if not the most, requested song was "Chelsea Dagger" by The Fratellis, causing a gigantic hype around the band. Luckily, the Fratellis were going to play three concerts in Holland, one in He...
More >
I can smell the streets of urban Britannia eminating from The Fratelli's 'Costello Music' like it's last nights kebab left to bake on the pavement. This isn't just a collection of songs, each song is a short story, almost filmic and packed to the brim with a cast of colorful characters. The homeless man with the tatty dog, the glamour model, the over zealous groupie, drug dealer and so on. Cost...
More >
"Well she wants to be a singer in the band Maybe I'll give the girl a hand & a microphone looks like she's all alone She can bring a friend though she's not my kind of friend She keeps staring me out with her ol' black & blue eyes And I can take her dancing just to give the girl a chance And I was never that good at being nice when I should I guess that she'll forgive me right before she tries.
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"Because I may be a beggar and you maybe the queenI know I maybe on a downer am still ready to dreamNow it's 3 o'clock time it takes for you to talk"Thank the Gods for the breeze today, it was just the blow I needed, so much better am I.
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Okay, well my school got out early today, so that's pretty much amazing. Other than that today has been a complete crapfest. I went to my grandma's today and she had chemotherapy not too long ago. That was probably the hardest thing I have ever experienced, and I've had some pretty shitty things happen the past couple of years what with my dad being institutionalized 3 times before my 15th birt...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Henrietta |
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| 2 Flathead |
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| 3 Whistle for the Choir |
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| 4 Chelsea Dagger |
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| 5 The Gutterati? |
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| 6 For the Girl |
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| 7 Doginabag |
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| 8 Creepin Up the Backstairs |
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| 9 Vince the Loveable Stoner |
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| 10 Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night |
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| 11 Baby Fratelli |
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| 12 Got Ma Nuts from a Hippy |
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| 13 Ole Black 'N' Blue Eyes |
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 "Costello Music")
