Ultimate Fakebook

This Will Be Laughing Week (Noisome)
by Scott Hefflon

One of the joys (one of the few) of this writing gig thing some of us sadistically stick to like a tenacious wad of gum to your shoe, is stumbling across a band you’ve never heard of, on a label you’ve never heard of, from an area of the country (your own, even) you’d need help pointing to on a map with any accuracy (Boston, Nova Scotia, same thing – it’s on the right side, kinda high up, right?), and realizing that they rock your jaded ass world. Ultimate Fakebook‘s This Will Be Laughing Week was in the “yeah, whatever” pile, but this gem made my heart melt like the first time I watched Grease and thought Olivia Newton-John was, like, the hottest thing in the world. And yes, the hot pants scene at the end may’ve been why I got into rock’n’roll in the first place (to date her, I mean, not to dress like her, OK?). Ultimate Fakebook are pure power pop, with recipes written in bold, easy-to-read letters. Weezer, the Replacements, the Buzzcocks, and many, many more (Squeeze, Joe Jackson, Jellyfish) are noted here, and while that comment is often the direct result of a band’s lack of originality, these guys write such wonderful pop, who really gives a shit if they lift influences? Man, this stuff is sweeeet! While some may have trouble with the falsetto, they can go screw. There are moments of crankin’ guitar crunch, acoustic diddling, clever and poignant turns of phrase, and an overall vibe of timeless, great music. Get this and recall a time when music was great because it spoke to you, not the voices on the radio and in the magazines, and all the cool kids in school. This is great whether your friends agree with you or not. Fuck them, get new friends.
(PO Box 3570 Lawrence, KS 66046)