Montreal punk/pop three piece, The Frenetics deliver a solid collection of songs on “Grey
Veins To The Parking Lot’, the follow up album to 2001’s ‘These Mistakes Took Years
Of Practice’(UNION013). The album was recorded partially in Montreal at Breakglass
and Le Beatbox studios by Marc-Andre Beaudet (The Sainte Catherines) and Jace Lasek
(The Besnard Lakes), and in London, Ontario at The House of Miracles by Andy
Magoffin (Constantines, By Divine Right, The Hidden Cameras). Magoffin’s recordings
have become renown for their eccentricity and sense of space, perhaps due to eight years
of working the same small live room and collecting the prepared pianos, percussion and
vintage amplifiers that now live there. The Frenetics took full advantage of this, as can
be heard on tracks like ‘Holding Song’ and ‘I Can’t Even Say Goodnight’, two short
bursts of moody punk energy. This environment didn’t prevent the band from delivering
the hook-laden power pop they are better known for, however.‘Bullpen’ and ‘The Bitter
Years’ rock out hard and confident, with Winnipeg-based singer/songwriter Greg
MacPherson helping out on lead and backing vocals. Perhaps the album’s peak is
‘Running Up’, a song that blends The Frenetics’ often darker lyrical imagery with their
penchant for traditional pop song structure and dynamics. The song also features to firsts
for the band: a horn section (made up of members of The Planet Smashers, Kobayashi
and Parkside Jones) and a “real” guitar solo that would make Mick Jones of The Clash
proud.
Together since August ’99, The Frenetics have been hitting clubs, halls and bars across
North America with their mix of 70’s British punk and 90’s American indie rock. They
have shared the stage with such acts as The Weakerthans, The Buzzcocks, Thursday, Ted
Leo & The Pharmacists, The Gossip, Moneen, The Delta 72, The Unband, The Planet
Smashers, The Exit, Choke, and many others. Their current line-up includes Malcolm
Bauld (guitar/voice), Alex Seliger (bass) and Anne Gauthier (drums).
Grenadine Records (The Dears) approached The Frenetics after their first show at Café
Chaos, in Montreal. After choosing Greg Smith (Smitty’s, Ripcordz) as engineer, they
recorded "Scenery E.P." at DNA studios in Montreal. "Scenery E.P." featured the bands’
capacity for urgent British pop, anthemic rockabilly and driving melodic punk. "Scenery
earned the band local and international attention, remaining on Canada’s National
Campus Charts for 3 consecutive weeks.
In the summer of 2001, The Frenetics signed with The Union Label Group and put out
"These Mistakes Took Years of Practice" on Union 2112 in September in front of a soldout crowd at Petit Campus. After some success on the Canadian college charts, and 2
video adds on Much Music (Rooftops, Something to Risk), a North American tour with
good friends and Mint Recording artists, Operation Makeout, another Canadian tour with
Sixty Stories (Smallman Records), the band buckled down and wrote the 12 killer tracks
that appear on 2004’s Grey Veins to the Parking Lot. In early 2005, the band decided to
call it quits and have now officially disbanded. You can check out Malcolm Bauld’s solo
stuff at: www.malcolmbauld.com