Next Show: Fontana’s Friday June 5th!

Hey everyone –

Our next show!
As some of you know, our beloved brother Seth Glickman will be attending graduate school in Pittsburgh in the fall.  While Seth will always be a member of FRANK, this is a great opportunity to see us in our current form before he spends more time in the Iron City.  Come by and give Seth a big hug (and/or a scotch).

We’re excited to share the evening with with our good friends in a reunited (one night only) Hello Nurse as well as The Rinse!  Please RSVP on facebook by clicking here.

Here’s the details:

What:  FRANK (with Seth) live!

Where: Fontana’s 105 Eldridge Street (map)

When:  Friday, June 5th.
8:00:  The Rinse
9:00:  Hello Nurse
10:00 FRANK

Cheers –
Billy, Christian, Scott & Seth

New Video: Turn

Hey everyone –

We are pleased to present a new video for your viewing and listening pleasure.  Here’s the video for “Turn”, the fifth single from our latest record, “frank IV: Music (and Other Bad Habits)”! As you will see, the video features some very special members of the FRANK family.

Watch the video for Turn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNHIwY7cwrc&feature=youtu.be

Watch previous videos from the record at FRANK’s youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/frankbandvideos

Our next show will be a special one with some old friends at a familiar place.  Mark your calendars for Friday, June 5!

Cheers –
Billy, Christian, Scott & Seth

Record Release Party: Friday, November 14th!

Hey everyone –

Record Release Party!
We’re throwing a big party to celebrate the release of MaOBH with our good friends in Big Shifter and Evil Jake.  Please RSVP on facebook by clicking here.

Here’s the details:

What:  The frank IV: Music (and Other Bad Habits) Record Release Party!

Where: Fontana’s 105 Eldridge Street (map)

When:  Friday, November 14th.
8:30: Big Shifter
9:30: FRANK
10:30 Evil Jake

Watch videos from the record at FRANK’s youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/frankbandvideos

Cheers –
Billy, Christian, Scott & Seth

Here’s Our New Record!

Hey everyone –

At long last we’re very proud to share our new record, “frank IV: Music (and Other Bad Habits)”, with you!  Go get it here!

frank IV: Music (and Other Bad Habits) was the first record recorded at Room 17 in Brooklyn, owned by Scott Porter and longtime FRANK family Joe Rogers and Adam Lasus, and was mastered by our good friend Joe Lambert.  The record was produced by FRANK and Joe Rogers.

Record Release Party!
We’re throwing a big party to celebrate the release of MaOBH with our good friends in Big Shifter and Evil Jake.  Please RSVP on facebook by clicking here.

Here’s the details:

What:  The frank IV: Music (and Other Bad Habits) Record Release Party!

Where: Fontana’s 105 Eldridge Street (map)

When:  Friday, November 14th.
8:30: Big Shifter
9:30: FRANK
10:30 Evil Jake

Watch videos from the record at FRANK’s youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/frankbandvideos

Cheers –
Billy, Christian, Scott & Seth

In Praise of Refused

I love music that exhibits a visceral intelligence – a confluence of thought and action.  I can’t think of a band that exemplifies those concepts more aggressively than Refused.

Wikipedia lists the band’s genres as “hardcore punk, post-hardcore, experimental rock, metallic hardcore/thrashcore” and that sounds about right.  But their music is also a perfect combination belief and movement.  Their final record “The Shape of Punk to Come” (1998) is visionary, fearless and one of the greatest punk/post-hardcore records of all time.  “Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent” (1996) sounds like the heaviest, most urgent band in the world.  Do yourself a favor and check out their full set at Coachella in 2012 – their fourth show after 14 years away (band kicks in around 3:00):

Like Minor Threat, Fugazi and Quicksand, Refused push you forward. They broke up in ’98 but reformed for the 2012 run, which seems to have been a one-and-done reunion tour. I hope they play again.  The records don’t get old, but I really want to be there in person.

The Grammys and the Damage Done

I think my good friend Ara Babajian of the fantastic Slackers nailed it when he wrote: “I have about as much interest in awards shows as I do in watching rich people golf.”  I believe that it is fairly common knowledge among discerning people that Grammys, like all awards shows, suck.

They suck primarily because the entities that organize the shows fundamentally don’t care about the art form they are allegedly celebrating.  Christopher Krovatin has written a spot-on, passionate piece in Noisey that makes this point convincingly by focusing on the exclusion of game changing Slayer guitarist and songwriter Jeff Hanneman from the “in memorium” section of the show.  I also note that Jared Leto was chosen to eulogize the great Lou Reed, thus forcing me to use their names in the same sentence, which is in itself a grave injustice.

I did not watch the show, though I did watch several of the performances in the maelstrom of Grammy recap posts/articles the following day.  In addition to the primary point made above, here are a few additional reactions:

  1. Fuck Macklemore:  I’m sorry, Seattle peeps, but I just cannot stand this guy.  It’s telling that this clown is EXACTLY what the Recording Academy loves – safe, innocuous, bullshit content.  Fucking yawn.
  2. Paul McCartney will be awesome until he is dead:  His new record is really good, his collab with the surviving members of Nirvana is good, he’s the best part of the Sound City documentary (which was pretty great already), the list goes on.  I love John just like the rest of us, but we must appreciate Paul while he’s still around.
  3. Trent Reznor is great/needs to chill the fuck out:  I’ve always respected the guy, and I thought the Reznor/Buckingham/QOTSA/Grohl end jam was very cool, but to accept a slot on a shitastrophe like the Grammys and then get all bent out of shape because they cut off your performance is like going to a Justin Bieber concert and getting pissed that the entire audience is under-18 and/or retarded.
  4. Even the Grammys shouldn’t let you pretend to play onstage:  I have loved Daft Punk since 1998, but the sight of them “DJ-syncing” was horrifying.  I’m shocked they went along with the whole production – it looked like the SNL cowbell set.
  5. Kris Kristofferson remains the man: The Highwaymen medley thing was very cool, and KK looked pleasantly stoned as he mocked Merle Haggard‘s archaic Okie from Muskogie lyrics.  I have written of my love for KK before.
  6. The Metallica / Lang Lang mash up on “One” was the only truly interesting thing that happened on the Grammys:  This was the only instance of real improvisation (including dissonance and spontaneity, two essential components in interesting music IMHO), and/or risk taking that I saw.  People give Metallica a lot of shit these days, but they still rock and they still take big risks, and I respect that.
  7. Beyonce is smoking hot, but otherwise pretty unremarkable:  And I respect Jay-Z, but I could use a break.
  8. I do not understand what all the fuss is about with Lorde.  But that’s OK, I don’t need to understand everything.

I think that’s it.

Cheers -

Scott

FRANK Live at Fontana’s Friday, January 24th!

FRANK Returns!  Live at Fontana’s Friday, January 24th!

Hey everyone -

It’s been while (we’ve missed you), but we’ve been busy and there are plenty of FRANK happenings in the works for 2014, including a new record, videos and shows.

For now, SAVE THE DATE – FRANK’s first scheduled show of 2014 will be Friday, January 24th at Fontana’s.  We’re playing with our friends Hidden Cities and Neon Groves, and will be playing a long set to make up for all the time we’ve been away.

Here’s the details:

What:  The Brooklyn Invasion Presents: FRANK live at Fontana’s, with Hidden Cities and Neon Groves

Where: 105 Eldridge Street (show is in the downstairs venue).  Check out a map here.

When:  Friday, January 24th, Show starts at 8PM, FRANK will play at around 10.  Come early and stay late!

Check in on facebook here.

Cheers -

Scott, Billy, Seth & Christian