Pop Has Freed Us

Hola. Sorry for the delayed posting. I was experiencing server issues with the hosting of the MP3s and whatnot, so I waited until those were cleared up. This week, we move away from the hahd rawk that I usually listen to and venture into a poppier zone. Papas Fritas was a local pop trio that made some interesting and fun music in the mid- to late '90s. The band--singer-guitarist Tony Goddess, bassist Keith Gendel and drummer Shivika Asthana--met as students at Tufts University in '92. They shared a love of upbeat pop and started recording singles and touring, eventually catching the attention of Minty Fresh Records, which released the band's self-titled debut in 1995. The band had a minor hit locally with "Lame to Be" and toured with the Flaming Lips, among others. They followed up with 1997's Helioself, which found them exploring more of a Brian Wilson sound, as well as other influences such as the Indian vocal stylings that Asthana uses on the standout single Hey Hey You Say. I interviewed Gendel for an article I wrote for Webnoize while I was still doing part-time work for them; I wish I had saved it, but alas, it's disappeared into the InterWeb ether along with Webnoize. But he was pretty cool and I saw them play a few times in Boston area clubs. After an extensive world tour for Helioself, the band (which by this time was living in Gloucester, MA, not far from my world headquarters) laid low before releasing 2000's more guitar-centric Buildings and Grounds. The song Way You Walk became a hit a few years after the album's release when it showed up in a Dentyne Ice commercial, but it appears the band is through, at least for now. The band issued the greatest hits collection Pop Has Freed Us in '03 and the members have all gone their separate ways. Hopefully, they'll reunite someday soon.

In other blog news, just wanted to hype a couple of blogs I've had listed in my blogroll for a while now. Pimps of Gore is an excellent site, featuring songs from any number of cool indie rock artists including an extensive series of Guided by Voices MP3s that I've been enjoying immensely. And Bradley's Almanac is the brainchild of a fellow Boston-area resident who posts a lot of great live stuff, including recent tracks from Unrest and Ida. Visit them both early and often.

Okay, more later.