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Fairmona
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Fairmona [EP]
Self-Released
Release: 1/24/2006
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Rated:
Review by:
Morley Seaver
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Embracing and enjoying all that is possible about creating and
marketing your own music in the new millennium comes a duo that
puts the quirk in quirky: Fairmona. This is a California twosome
made up of a drummer (Barbara “Bizarrebara!” Gruska) and guitarist
(Marcel “Brazil!” Camargo) sort of like The White Stripes, but not
really. At times, it’s more like the Go-Gos crossed with a band of
girl guides on a camping trip armed with a bottle of Schnapps and
a guitar. And I don’t mean that it’s an unprofessional affair, but
rather an uninhibited, slightly giggly (in a girly sort of way) big ball
of fun.
This EP has six cuts and they go from the slightly effervescent to
the straight ahead rock to the bizarre. “no means no” starts things
off and the boppy, percolating rhythm immediately starts your toes
on a mission. Barbara’s voice is slightly girlish and the verses melt
into a solid chorus. An about-turn comes with the next cut,
“Beloved Mother” sung by Marcel. This song is more straight ahead
but downbeat and his voice is really engaging. This is my pick for
the best cut on the record.
The Barbara-sung “I.S.S.I.” has some great vocal harmonies and is
simple but interesting. It’s a tough trick to make quirky songs that
are still musically pleasing and not just strange. Fairmona succeeds
with this cut using some weird chords changes and vocal lines and
Barbara has her best vocal on this one.
It’s back to the jumpy cockroach-high-on-Raid chords for
“X-Tina,” a song about Christina Aguilera. The humorous “Genital
Handshake” elicits smiles with its content about casual sex. “Zoom
Zoom” sounds like it was sculptured by the late Frank Zappa with
its odd time changes and the weird vocals.
While it is not something to put on for casual listening, if you like
stuff that’s a bit left of centre like me, this should fill the bill. |
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