Often tagged as garage rock revivalists, the Fleshtones mix the fuzz guitar and Farfisa organ sounds of that genre with rockabilly, ’50s and ’60s R&B, and surf into a potent retro stew the group likes to call “super rock.” The group formed in 1976 in Queens, New York with vocalist/keyboardist Peter Zaremba, guitarist Keith Streng, bassist Jan Marek Pakulski, and drummer Bill Milhizer and aimed to return rock & roll to the simplicity and unself-consciousness of the ’50s and early ’60s. (The group was often joined on-stage and in the studio by sax player Gordon Spaeth, who passed on in 2005.) The group fit nicely into New York’s punk and new wave scene, and an early single, “American Beat,” attracted the attention of independent label Red Star and, in time, I.R.S. The group’s debut EP, Up-Front, was released in 1980 and was followed by their first full-length album, Roman Gods, and Blast Off!, an unreleased studio album recorded for Red Star in 1978. 1983 produced Hexbreaker, widely regarded as the Fleshtones’ finest album. The band continued to record through the ’80s and released Powerstance in 1992 and Beautiful Light in 1994. (Powerstance also marked the debut of new Fleshtones bassist Ken Fox, who replaced Pakulski in the lineup and has been with the group ever since.)
While the group’s popularity dipped under the radar in the last half of the ’90s, in 2003 the group bounded back when they were signed to the potent indie label Yep Roc Records and released one of their best albums, Do You Swing? An equally solid follow-up, Beachhead, was issued in 2005 and was produced in part by Detroit garage rock kingpin Jim Diamond. Fleshtones side projects include Keith Streng’s band Full Time Men, which featured R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, and Peter Zaremba’s Love Delegation. In 2008, more than 30 years after the group formed, they released Take a Good Look, proving their ability to be just as raucous as they were in the good ol’ days. (by)
Man oh man, you’ve got to be some kind of ballsy dad rock bar band to think you can get away with covering “Day Tripper” on this side of the new millennium. Well, it’s a good thing the Fleshtones, circa 2011 (featuring Lenny Kaye, from the Jim Carroll Band, the Patti Smith Group and the Lenny Kaye connection) are precisely this kind of dad rock bar band. The perpetual garage rock revivalists return with more of the same fuzzy, concise, toe-tapping rockers. Brooklyn Sound Solution is comparably low-energy, weighed against the ‘Tones prime ’70s and ’80s output. But considering that they all look like uncles and college professors now, that’s to be expected. Still, tracks like “I Can’t Hide,” “Rats in the Kitchen” and Kaye’s sole songwriting contribution, “Lost on Xandu,” reward repeated listens. They may not be quite as vibrant, but the Fleshtones still sound good. Sure, they’re old, but they’re better than the Stones. (by John Semley)
“Pardon us for living, but the graveyard is full.” or so goes the title of a new documentary film telling the tale of The Fleshtones. While that sentiment is a bit tongue-in-cheek, it’s also true. The Fleshtones have been grinding out garage rock before garage rock was even called garage rock, and turning rock clubs like Max’s Kansas city into impromptu discos for over 30 years. While chart hits and magazine covers weren’t to be their fate; a reputation as the hardest working, most sincere rock band on the planet was cultivated in the process. The result of that distinction is their new album ‘Brooklyn Sound Solution’ featuring the legendary Lenny Kaye. In addition to his role as long-time guitarist for Patti Smith, Kaye also curated the seminal garage and psychedelic music compilations nuggets. Have a problem you can’t solve? The Fleshtones offer you a ‘Brooklyn Sound Solution’. (by roughtrade.com)
Personnel:
Ken Fox (bass, vocals)
Bill Milhizer (drums, percussion, vocals)
Keith Streng (vocals, guitar)
Peter Zaremba (vocals, keyboards, harmonica)
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Steve Greenfield (saxophone)
Lenny Kaye (guitar)
Matt Verderay (vibraphone)
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background vocals on 09.:
Anne Streng – Dave Faulkner – Phast Phreddie
Tracklist:
01. Comin’ Home Baby (Tucker/Dorough) 2.45
02. I Wish You Would (Arnold) 2.41
03. Day Tripper (Lennon/McCartney) 2.41
04. Bite Of My Soul (Zaremba) 2.37
05. You Give Me Nothing To Go On (Instrumental Version) (Taylor) 2.24
06. Lost On Xandu (Kaye) 3.05
07. I Can’t Hide (Parker) 2.21
08. Solution #1 (Streng) 2.45
09. Rats In My Kitchen (Estes) 2.03
10. Back Beat #1 (J. Petze/L. Petze/Collins/Pizze) 1.53
11. You Give Me Nothing To Go On (Taylor) 2.12
12. Solution #2 (Zaremba) 2.11
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