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TEN
YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN 2005 by GARY PIG GOLD
The very, very fine
folk over at Bomp Records who, these past twelve months alone,
have brought us not only the Howling Diablos but some tres cool
Hypstrz and even Stiv Bators re-issues to boot, have now gone
and delivered the debut cracker from those Farfisa-soaked prides
of Athens, Georgia.
This disc, expertly
semi-recorded on some creaky olde Tascam 8-track in the Colonel's
lickity living room ("those who believe cleanliness is next
to Godliness can suck it," the Press Release advises) launches
most sturdily upon the wings of Johnny Tillotson fronting a rightfully
terrified Swingin' Medallions (Someday There Will Come A Time)
before recklessly plowing through a slew of perfectly rank Flo
& Eddie / Young Rascals homages-in-fromage (Furthest Cloud
In The Sky most pointedly).
Then there's Sleep
Through The Day (wherein Boyce and Hart demo the ultimate
slacker anthem for Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Davy even)
plus Fallin' Off The Depths, which truly does slap silly
anything and EVERYTHING off This Year's Model for starters.
Though things somehow
get a bit profound near the last ten minutes or so (Storm
Clouds = Indigo Boys), Tim Boykin's Lolas at least should
cover Don't Wanna Be Your Friend immediately and then
R. Stevie Moore should be hired to collaborate ideally
TOUR with all these here Splits too asap.
To summarize? Pure,
extremely adulterated genius, through and then through again
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Being based in a
college town like Athens, GA these guys probably have never played
a party or club they didn't like, or who didn't like them. We
call this stuff frat rock and the band sounds like they're having
a blast. My only concern is their gigs being infiltrated by hippies.
Dirty hippies. Dirty hippies dancing like crazy. Hmmm ...
- Daggers #37
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Inspired by a slew
of Nuggets-era U.S. garage and '60s pop bands, obscure British
Invasion groups, and contemporary retro-popsters (many from the
notorious Elephant 6 gang).
Fall in Love... twists and jives with more than enough
trebly rhythm and raw soul. "Someday There Will Come A Time"
has enough organ and twisty beats to keep the biggest Swingin'
Medallions or ? & The Mysterians fan happy. The carnivalesque
organ work on "Fallin' Off the Depths" is about demented
as anything Mark Mothersbaugh did with Devo before 1977. On the
other end of the musical spectrum, the sock-hop pop of "Furthest
Cloud in the Sky" and CBGB-style pop-punk of "Comin'
On Fast" provide a more comfortable shuffle for the teenage
romantics. Read the interview
with the
Charleston City Paper.
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Fall In Love
Again With Col. Knowledge and the Lickity Splits is like an authentic sixties dance
party completely captured in pristine 'Alive Natural Sound' and
transported to 2005 for your listening pleasure. The cover art
looks like something you might see lying around in the Scooby
Doo Mystery Van, and the music sounds the part too. Velma and
Daphne could do some serious shimmy and shake to this band.
Hailing from Athens,
Georgia, Col. Knowledge and the boys are 100% sixties from start
to finish, but they mine an entirely different aspect of the
decade than their Elephant Six neighbors chose to explore. Inspired
not so much by the psychedelic sunshine pop that inspired bands
like Olivia Tremor Control, The Music Tapes and Of Montreal,
Col. Knowledge and The Lickity Splits traffic in a Farfisa-driven
r'n'b and soul-inflected bubblegum garage pop that warrants reference
to the Farfisa garage rock of Afterglow, as well as white soul
masters Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels.
Recorded on an early
80's portable 8-track in the bands' houses, the recording has
a nice raw quality that makes the album sound like a live show.
The singer, Tim Schreiber, has an incredible range and actually
reminds me a bit of the singer from Black Crowes.... that could
sound like a put-down to some, but it's not. It's just rare to
come across indie rock singers with the perfect combination of
super-high crystal clear falsettos and rock rasp that this guy
has, not to mention the abundance of high-octane good energy.
He gives it so hard at times that the recording distorts hard
and it sounds great.
The organs and vintage
electric pianos are driven equally hard to tape, also to great
effect. The guitars are ballsy and drenched in tremolo. It all
works very well for the period sound that Col. Knowledge are
going for. It's always dangerous when bands like this start doing
well, which Col. Knowledge and the Lickity Splits certainly will,
and get pressured to record in hi-fi environments the garagey
charm that attracted listeners in the first place can get lost.
Examples that come to mind include Apples In Stereo when they
went hi-fi for Tone Soul Evolution, or Eric's Trip, whose leader
Rick White quickly realized after some studio debacles that the
studio destroyed their magic and returned to his Moncton, NB
basement to produce more amazing records. I have a strong sense
that Col. Knowledge and The Lickity Splits will never fall into
any of those traps, especially considering this line from their
bio discussing recording quality, "those who believe cleanliness
is next to Godliness can suck it."
Lots of songs on
Fall In Love Again are killers. Highlights are the leadoff
track, "Someday There Will Come A Time", "Fallin'
Off The Depths", "Sleep Thru The Day", and "I
Just Want To Get Somebody To Get With". The record is peppered
with some ballads and down tempo material but they're at their
very best on the reckless and breakneck-tempo fast numbers. "Storm
Clouds" is the biggest departure on the album it's
a dead ringer for the Neutral Milk Hotel of In The Aeroplane
Over The Sea. It's a good song and it works, especially due
to its placement late in the album after the band has fully established
their own unique sound. It's also nice to hear that familiar
Neutral Milk Hotel sound that's been so sorely missed by fans
of Mangum's magic.
Col. Knowledge is
an amazing new band and Fall In Love Again a great album.
It's a breath of fresh air that serves a welcome respite from
the dense haze of psyche-folk that's been starting to congest
the world of indie rock as of late. Col. Knowledge and The Lickity
Splits, I can guarantee you, are an insanely fun live band. Don't
miss an opportunity to see them, but until that time comes, this
album is sure to get your dance party jumping. - Gordon B. Isnor
/ Left
Hip magazine
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Oh my god. There
have been a few unexpected surprised that have come our way recently,
this being amongst them. The debut from Col. Knowledge and The
Lickity Splits is organ driven garage rock with an occasional
foray into pop. While the influences are almost on the band's
sleeves, Col. Knowledge and company updates the sub-genre enough
to make it feel fresh. This is a disc that should appeal to both
fans of vintage garage rock and power pop. - Boone / The Trouble
With Normal
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Absolutely genius
60s pop by kids who have silliness, soul, power pop sensibilities
and sycadelic sexiness.
- Roctober
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This record has
sort of an organ-driven, garage, retro-bubble-gum quality to
it with an almost Motown feel in places. Apparently recorded
in a living room on an 8-track, there are lots of cool hooks
and classic pop song compositions. Fans of this style will probably
dig it, but the x-factor is the vocal delivery of the Colonel
himself. Listeners will either embrace his falsetto-laden crooning
and hollering, or they will run screaming for the eject button;
it's hard to see there being much middle ground. - Andy Smith
/ Pop Culture
Press
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Col. Knowledge &
The Lickity-Splits is a long-named band with a firm handle on
pop music history. I can't remember the last time I heard so
much keyboard work on one album. Some of these tracks sound like
throwbacks to the '60s, whereas others reach all the way back
to the '50s. "Comin on Fast" comes off like an early
but less angry Elvis Costello, where as "Delightfully"
is graced by a prince-y falsetto lead vocal. This work mostly
sounds like fun and games, but then it gets a little serious
towards the end. "No Man's Land" is straightforward
electric guitar rock, and usual party organ or plain lyrics about
love and romance. Nevertheless, you'll likely fall in love with
Col. Knowledge & The Lickity-Splits wonderfully retro-rock
sound--whether the group's being temporarily serious or not.
- Dan MacIntosh / Skratch magazine
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Un
gros rubis de Rock n'roll.
Mon disque de l'année...
- The
Fake (Switzerland) |
Le chef d'oeuvre
« I just want somebody » arrive
à la fin du CD avec son orgue petillant et ses chants
très love!
- Walked
In Line (France) |
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The band's Alive
Records debut is a kitschy, poppy nugget that'll make you long
for nights you spent dancing in the headlights with your teenage
crush, even if you didn't go to high school in the early '60s.
Steck met frontman/guitarist Tim Schreiber at a record sale two
years ago and struck up a conversation with the college-radio
DJ, who was hosting an oldies show at the time on Athens' WUOG.
The two connected over a shared love of bizarre sound effects,
the Mothers of Invention and the desire to form a doo-wop group.
The resulting project
has been compared to "Buddy Holly on speed," and at
times, identified as revivalist. But Steck insists this isn't
really accurate, and that the band is more interested in having
fun than preserving some sort of musical heritage. "I hope
people come away from the shows with a sweaty shirt and more
endorphins," he says. "We function for entertainment
purposes only."
"We do the
same thing Stravinsky and Zappa did" says Steck, "but
with '60s garage rock."
Col.
Knowledge
have been selected "Band
of the Week" by Pastemagazine
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DooWopBubblegumGarageBlueEyedSoul!
This is one of the most unusual retro-rock discs to hit the bins
in quite awhile. This Athens, GA quartet's crooning combines
doo-wop, bubblegum, garage and blue-eyed soul, while their backing
music is fueled by whining Farfisa organ and '70s rock guitar.
Strain it all through a 1980's TASCAM 8-track recorder, and you
have the sort of DIY affair that could only be pulled together
by the sort of oldies enthusiasts whose ears were tuned by records
of a by-gone era. As their press materials suggest, there's more
than a hint of Flo & Eddie's Turtles' era melodicism and
Zappa-era irreverence. Zappa's own "Ruben & The Jets"
is just one of this album's eclectic touchpoints. Lead-singer
Tim Schreiber's voice sounds like a soulful version of bubblegum
legend Joey Levine (or even The Three O'Clock's Michael Quercio),
but with the rave-up drama of The Rascals, and the big-beat drive
of Freddie Cannon. The band's guitar-and-organ base gives the
songs a garage buzz akin to ? & The Mysterians, but more
rooted in pop than garage. The entire project harbors the quality
of one-hit wonderism music whose bizarre alchemy you can't quite
explain in the first place and could never ever hope to duplicate.
It's a lucky jackpot to find a CD's worth of this music up-front,
rather than in retrospect of a cherished single whose grooves
you'd worn flat. - Eli Messinger / Amazon.com
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If you're familiar
with the first Nuggets box set, the Farfisa-embellished opening
track on Fall in Love will remind you of the Swinging Medallions'
"Double Shot of My Baby's Love". Respectfully, that
might be the least essential song on a collection that already
celebrates the trivial but it's no slam on Col. Knowledge and
Co. who otherwise try on power pop and nod in the direction of
Armed Forces-era Attractions - minus the anger, mind you, and
puffed up with nitrous. The living room production never strays
out of the red, making sure that - with all the referential smugness
and casual skill on display - things don't get too stuffy. -
Mack / The
Nerve
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The 50's in full
stride, Question Mark and the Mysterians with a kick in the ass.
The past is back and it's gunnin for you. - New
York Waste
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A strong Elvis &
The Attractions vibe here. The Vox Continental (?) sounds, coupled
with the cracked new wave pop sensibility add up to a heap of
fun and some really good tunes. - Mohair
Sweet
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There is a lot of
fine material here, in a style not often attempted by white guys.
- Phil Suggitt / Shindig
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First off you have
to give the band credit for such a crazy name! Then after hearing
this album you have to give them even more credit for the quality
of this album despite it being recorded in a living room on a
8 track! After listening to this album you just have to give
them heaps of praise for recording a top notch Rock N Roll album.
Fans of Melody in their Rock N Roll will love this and for a
band only going for around 2 years to produce something this
good really deserves your support. Imagine The Attractions crossed
with The Undertones with a bit of 50´s Rock N Roll thrown
in and you get an idea of what this band sound like. Top stuff
and this is going to be a band you´re going to hear more
of! 10/10. Steve DIY / Punk
Globe
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Organ driven, Lyres-esque,
pop n' soul. Anyone with a fondness for the aforementioned
Lyres or the Fleshtones, should get a copy of this in their hot
little hands and right damn quick too. Good guitars, and
great vocals, with great bass melodies. Had
me wanting to sing along from the first track. This one
surges in and out of control, with lots of energy and excitement.
Thanks to Col. Knowledge and the Lickity Splits for keeping music
fun! Find someone to dry hump whilst listening to this
CD. - X2rocknroll
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I do believe I've
entered a colorfully animated sonic dimension where zany, fun-filled
wildness reigns supreme. Col. Knowledge and his Lickity-Split
sidekicks playfully frolic their way through a delightfully titillating
smorgasbord of aural radiance that's equal parts Mersey Beat,
Pop, New Wave, and semi-psychedelic Cabaret. Imagine, if you
will, a flowery, rainbow-flickering Rocky Horror Picture Show
love-in as performed by Freddie & The Dreamers, The Partridge
Family, Elvis Costello, and a circus tent full of musically creative,
LSD-gulpin' clowns. I got a contact high after just one listen
to this vibrantly entertaining disc, and I can fully attest that
being on Cloud Nine has never sounded so good. -Moser/Under the
Volcano
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Probably the most
enjoyable album Alive sent over. It's really gay. Really really
gay. - Terminal Boredom
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No matter whether
you feel that the sixties were the golden age of rock and roll
or an era where drugs completely sucked the creativity out of
a lot of great artists, there is no denying that the era produced
some great music and even greater sounding band names. The Strawberry
Alarm Clock. The Chocolate Watchband. The Electric Mushroom Acid
Experiment (ok I made that one up). It was all a lot of fun and
hell, isn't that what rock and roll is supposed to be about?
Well fun is something that Col. Knowledge and the Lickity Splits
have infused into both their cool name and their great Sixties-inspired
debut record on the Alive label "Fall in Love All Over Again."
High energy rock and roll infused with roiling Farfisa organs,
odd brass accents and a sound described as "if the Young
Rascals were actually speed freaks and banged on their instruments
a little harder and broke some strings" "Fall in Love"
is a blast to listen to from beginning to end. The band, from
Athens, Georgia have managed to produce some really great soulful
garagey pop with some wonderful falsetto harmonies thrown in
for good measure that makes for a perfect record to throw on
the CD player to get people up and bopping around on the dance
floor. All in all a really fun listen and highly recommended.
It's nice to see the Bomp! empire thriving with a batch of great
releases recently. Greg Shaw would have been proud. - The
Rock'n'roll Report
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Sixty's
throwback never sounded so authentic. These four garage poppers,
who hail from Athens, Georgia, would make the Turtles and the
Young Rascals proud with their grungy guitars, organ flourishes
and falsetto harmonies. The songs on this release blend together
like the colors in a lava lamp, but a few stand out-"Furthest
Cloud In The Sky," "Sleep Through The Day," "Babysitter." - Rib
Magazine
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I love getting discs
from Bomp/Alive Records. Why you ask? Well, because they always
seem to put out some of the most original, and interesting underground
rock imaginable. Every band and subsequent disc on their roster
is like a welcomed breath of fresh air amidst the smog-filled
glut of lacklustre Metalcore CDs piled up on my desk. Regardless
of the grade I finally end up bestowing upon it, each disc always
seems to have an inherent coolness factor of at least "10".
Today we take a look at the 60s throwback band "Col. Knowledge
& The Lickity Splits". That band name alone makes checkin'
this one out worthwhile. The group is from Athens Georgia, and
is made up of four kids in their early 20s, who have somehow
collectively managed to avoid the influences of MTV and current
pop culture. They have tapped into the vibe of the 60s, and put
out a debut disc that seems to have been miraculously displaced
in time by about 40-odd years! I'll admit I'm no 60s Garage-Rock
expert, but man do these guys sound authentic. - Urotsukidoji
Pad / Sunset Strip Underground
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First off you have
to give the band credit for such a crazy name! Then after hearing
this album you have to give them even more credit for the quality
of this album despite it being recorded in a living room on a
8 track! After listening to this album you just have to give
them heaps of praise for recording a top notch Rock N Roll album.
Fans of Melody in their Rock N Roll will love this and for a
band only going for around 2 years to produce something this
good really deserves your support. Imagine The Attractions crossed
with The Undertones with a bit of 50´s Rock N Roll thrown
in and you get an idea of what this band sound like. Top stuff
and this is going to be a band you´re going to hear more
of! 10/10 - Full
Frontal (UK)
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Imagine The Attractions
crossed with The Undertones with a bit of 50´s Rock N Roll
thrown in and you get an idea of what this band sound like. Top
stuff and this is going to be a band you´re going to hear
more of! - Steve
DYI / Punk
Globe
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This CD starts off
with "Someday There Will Come A Time" which sounds
like a medley of "Double Shot Of My Babys Love" by
the Swinging Medallions and the Bay City Rollers version of "I
Only Want To Be With You". This is a strange CD. For instance,
"Fallin' Off The Depths" sounds like a theme song for
some t.v. show. This whole album is riddled with every pop cliché
and hook in the book. Guess that's why it works so well, they
make no attempts at masking anything they lifted. - Ear
Candy
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Col.
Knowledge is a hit in the world I inhabit, however narrow it
may be, despite the goofy name. The guys, all in their 20's,
that make up the group must lead interesting lives. They've managed
to completely miss the pernicious influence of modern rock to
craft an album that is sublime as anything Herb Alpert was able
to unleash during the 6th decade of the 20th Century. Okay, I'm
stretching it with Alpert, but there is a credit for brass on
the record. The music is the throwback jersey you've always wanted
but couldn't afford. It recalls British psychedelic mavens The
Move at their earliest and lightest stage. The songs are full
of little whirling moments with carnival organ sounds and lights.
It's all over the top. The songs are played with such verve,
there's an unaffected genuine appeal that's often missing from
revivalists. Tim Schreiber's vocals are completely self assured
going from tenor to falsetto with each change of tempo, a thrill
ride pleasant rush in garage land one second and the soul kitchen
the next. - Wally Bangs / Soulfish
Stew
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