If you name your band after a movie character, it better be an appealing and appropriate one. Anyone who has seen Blue Velvet (1986), the intriguing psychological thriller by David Lynch, will probably never forget Frank Booth as portrayed by Dennis Hopper. On their self-titled debut full-length, the Hastings (UK) based band Frank From Blue Velvet makes a good attempt to become equally memorable. Andrew J Davies (vocals, guitar, clarinet), Mark Storr-Hoggins (drums, vocals), Andrew Francis (guitar, vocals, harmonica), Karen Davies (vocals, percussion), Bev Francis (vocals, percussion), Stephanie Funnell (vocals, percussion), Ruby Lyons (bass, vocals) and John Hornig (banjo, lap steel guitar) manage to create an atmosphere as dark, macabre and mysterious as in the film mentioned. They mix alt-country, chain gang gospel, punk rock, bad luck blues and heavy roots in eleven songs about corruption, redemption, gambling and snake preaching without a happy ending in sight. It is exciting and bewitching music – cinematic and dangerous – both in terms of instrumentation and lyrics, certainly the harmony vocals add a lot of value. The Mike Tyson quote “Everyone’s got a plan // Til their face gets punched” that led to one of the standout tracks here, could just have been a David Lynch invention.
Frank From Blue Velvet, produced by Panayioti Chapman, is out now digitally and on CD trough Property Of The Lost Records. For fans of Billy Childish’s current work with The William Loveday Intention.
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PS
Live, Frank From Blue Velvet’s music gains further intensity. Below you can see a fragment of There’s A Storm (Storm Part 1), together with Hastings Punk Choir, filmed at Jenny Lind, Hastings (UK).
And here they perform the same song at Trinity House, Hasting, for The Bopflix Sessions – available as limited edition 7″ vinyl.