Preview
PHATTOE
Friday, June 4
Sal’s on 17th
Unclassifiable, fun loving and loud. These are the attributes of Phattoe, an energetic ensemble with a great sense of rhythm and nothing to lose – but their hearing. Dauntless self-promoters, these Calgarian groove rockers are now poised to introduce their sophomore album So Good. And with their still-ringing ears eagerly pressed to the ground, they anticipate that good vibrations and lucrative record deals will be coming their way in the near future.
"This new release is equally as hard to categorize as our first," says vocalist Jonathan Stoddart (a.k.a. Ricca Razor Sharp – although according to the Wu-name generator he’s "Tha 23rd Buchan"). "We’ve changed things up a bit and have thrown in a lot of hard rock, funk, ska and hip-hop into the mix. Our new songs have more choruses, and there’s a real flow to the album.
"Subconsciously, we made the effort to be catchy and direct but without being pop. We hope it’ll be the perfect CD to put (on) at a party – it’s fun, and then it’s over. With 10 tracks packed into 35 minutes you don’t have time to get bored."
Keeping up the craziness and unpredictability is what Ricca is all about, and Phattoe’s ebonically adept debut Phoot In Tha Doe, was just that, a prying point of entry for four young lads eager to make the scene. Guitarist B.R.C. (Big Red Clown – alias the carrot-topped Jarett Craig) along with drummer Chad Romphf and bassist Rob Reuser are likewise poised to drop kick any attempts at classifying their far out sound right between the eyes.
"We come up with a riff and then take it to the next level," says Ricca of his band’s too-much-is-not-enough philosophy. "It’s funk, then it’s disco, then Chad does some weird drum shit and we all walk on through. Chad is by far the most active promoter of our band. It really dispels that myth of the drummer who just shows up to jam and then leaves with somebody else’s girlfriend. We actually considered naming the band Romphf!"
Gearing up for their second Canadian tour, Ricca says Phattoe is much more organized now than when they made their first road trip – a wild eastward run to Nova Scotia that saw the guys tenting, roller-coaster riding, and girl watching more than performing. Now it’s down to business, so to speak, and these indie-core phunkologists (formerly of defEKt and Ripcase) are burnin’ to blaze a trail across the prairies to Ottawa.
"We’re not as aggro as we used to be – if you want to use that prefix. Our audience doesn’t have to dress in black or any of that pretentiousness. We want people who are fans of all genres to come out and have fun at our shows. Vicious headbangers and beautiful hip-hop chicks alike." |
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