Full Frontal Folk
Storming the Castle
by Samuel L. Wereb
 I nominate this CD
for best album cover of the year. When it arrived, I set a world
speed record for shrink-wrap removal trying to glean some more
revealing insight from any liner photos. Alas, there are none.
But it turns out that this isn't even the best cover on the
record. The best cover is their rendition of Bad Religion's
"Anesthesia," a wicked punk song magically converted
to a driving rocker featuring acoustic guitars, violins and searing
four-part harmony.
The "Frontals" stomp right in where angels fear
to tread with 14 masterful covers of some all-time great songs.
Few sane acts would dare to attempt this stuff, let alone an
entire album of it. They ride Lyle Lovett's "I've Been
to Memphis" around on a banjo and put it away wet. It's
amazing to hear how well they sing together and try to guess
what they'll try next. Their "Seven Bridges Road"
is every bit as good as the Eagles' version.
This is a folk album as much for people who don't like folk
as for those who do. There is no angst-ridden posturing, whining,
or protesting anywhere to be found on this record. These are
the Dixie Chicks on Whip-Its. Storming the Castle is
uproarious, old-fashioned jamming that just kicks ass.
Some of these covers are things of rare beauty and excellence.
Marc Cohn fans will remember "Silver Thunderbird,"
and hear how good it could have been. Celtic, European and traditional
American folk fans will delight in "Katie Cruel," "Colcannon,"
"Blood and Gold," and "L&N." Whether
these girls are refining classic songs or completely goofing
off, they demonstrate some serious vocal chops. They do even
The Nields' college radio alt-popper "Mr. Right Now"
better than The Nields did. Tom Waits' "Jockey Full of
Bourbon" and Pete Morton's "Another Train" are
masterstrokes of vocal leads, harmony, and arrangement.
"Don't Leave Nobody But the Baby," resurrected in
the film, O' Brother Where Art Thou?, sparked the creation
of this band. They weren't yet a band in 2000, just a group
of friends on a camping trip to a folk festival. They found
an open stage and a live mike and said, "What the hell?
Let's try a song everyone will know." Five minutes later,
they were booked at several parties before they knew any other
songs. Now that they've learned a few whoppers and have a pretty
cool name, they are frequently booked from Albuquerque to Nashville
to Philadelphia. Storming the Castle was a 2002 record
and is already in its third pressing.
Observant Catholics may recognize the hymn "Dona Nobis Pacem
(Grant Us Peace)," which is often sung in rounds at the
end of Mass. FFF has recorded a bonus track called "Dona
Nobis Beer," which demonstrates their complete irreverence
for everything but good singing.
It is my understanding that many touring Texas acts have official
beer sponsors. I don't know if the Frontals are trying for one,
here, but they are damned funny. Now I grew up in western Pennsylvania
and can testify first hand that some of the worst beers in the
world are brewed in Pennsylvania, not just in Milwaukee. To
avoid a libel suit, I'll just use excerpts of what the Frontals
have to say on the subject, in rondelles:
Sitting on Delilah's porch
We all draw near
Sing harmonies
And drinking beer
Push-up bras, Pleather pants
Painting our lips red
Good beer, good show
Heaven with a head
We were young, had no taste
We did not know
Had a box for a case
We were good to go
Rolling Rock, Miller Lite
Genesee Cream Ale
Bud "Golden Anniversary"
Milwaukee's Best
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Schaefer's,
Keystone Pilsner
Natural Light
Meister Brau
Natty Bohswitz
Iron City, Blatz
Ortlieb, Schlitz
Full Frontal Folk consists of four accomplished folk musicians
who come together with the man-eating stage names, "Fatale,
Delilah, Lolita, and Jezebel Frontal." A distant relative,
"Desdemona Frontal," fills in on percussion when needed.
All members are deeply involved in the Philadelphia Folk Society
and other folkie associations. One is an M.D. and each in turn
seems to be more talented and goofier than the other. All were
raised in the folk tradition and each member's father seems to
be a renowned folk singer, traditional jammer, or Irish singer
who real folkies know well.
Buy the record to recall when folk music is sometimes at its
very best: singing, boozing, dancing, and telling tales. Jezebel
sings like Eddie Vedder, Delilah like a bird, and Fatale and
Lolita sing like twin angels. Good folk, great vocals and they're
all naked.
* www.fullfrontalfolk.com
for CD's, swag, and more photos.
Contact Samuel L. Wereb at wereb-at-rockzilla.net
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