Sadly Defunct - Sadly Incomplete

The Flavor Channel never made it big. Never came close. They had a small cult following in their adopted home town (they were college students) of Chicago, but still even managed to make only a small ripple, even locally.

It certainly wasn't for a lack of great music.

The band played the club circut regularly and I caught them 10 or so time myself - they were a devastatingly musical live act and, whatever they lacked in stage presence, they more than made up for with great tunes.

Unfortunately, their recorded output was minimal - a compilation track here, a split single there...

So when this album came out, I was anticipating great things. Well, the things that are on this CD are pretty great, unfortunately, as a fan, I wanted more.

While several of my favorite FC tunes are missing from this CD, there is still more than enough great stuff to intrigue the person who isn't familiar with the band.

"Nonchalant" opens things with an indellible guitar hook that sounds like The Cure on steroids and, actually the rest of the song follow suit. There are the occasional saxophone skronks and flashes of pianistic virtuosity that endeared the band to me in the first place, but for the most part, this is a very guitar-centric record.

That's not a bad thing as Matt Headon is a gifted stylist, with a taste for surf-style tones and atmospheric volume swells. Victor's singing sounds something like a cross between Roy Orbison (with not quite the range) and Morrisey.

Flashes of Sun Ra-style jazziness and stride piano do surface occasionally, but this is essentially a rock-solid indie guitar pop album with occasional neo-psychadelic and jazz flourishs.

Recommended for fans of: The Smiths, The Cure, Yo La Tengo and Pavement.

That RIYL is interesting...other than Pavement.

Steve

I occasionally still listen to a band called Johnny Quest from Raliegh, NC, ...