Only Finest Musick

Well, here we go again.  Frankhord has put out a new album (Only Finest Musick) and you want to know what it sounds like... at least, that's what my editors think.  The latest effort by this San Francisco outfit is pretty much what you'd expect-- no frills, plain Jane rock 'n' roll.

That's not to say these boys are boring, though.  Only Finest Musick is a "fun" album, and a nice break from the over-pretentious, self-important, self-crowned philosopher-musicians of today.  As we've heard the members of the band say before in various interviews, Frankhord is based around the idea of simplicity and frankness.  You won't need a dictionary to understand the lyrics, or a degree from Julliard to enjoy this album.  A large portion of the listening public is put off by the lack of flash, though.

We've all heard people complain that Frankhord just replays the past like a glorified cover band that ad-libs a few verses here an there.  But I disagree.  I think what we have here is more than a replay of the what we've heard before.  Where Frankhord excels is taking that common musical inheritance we all share, and living that in the present.  Not just transcribing the rhythms and chords of the past, but bringing back to life the musicians and styles that have gone before and letting them see and sing about what we're living in now.

I'm not the only one who understands what these boys are up to, as they seem to have a very loyal following.  Sure, they might wind up playing some smaller venues, but they always fill any venue they play.  Of course, the conspiracy theorists have all kinds of claims about what goes on at Frankhord's shows (I doubt they're true, but since the shows are so secretive I can't exactly refute them), and, of course, will hear something hateful or evil back-masked into the tracks of anything the band releases...