Tag Archives: The Boys Ranch

Albums

The Mellons — Introducing…The Mellons

The Mellons

Introducing…The Mellons

Earth Libraries

Street: 10/21/2022

The Mellons are a group that manages to exude effortless brilliance. Not surprising then since they draw from the talents of Andrew Colin Beck, Ian Francis, Denny Fuller and Rob Jepson. Their debut record Introducing…The Mellons boasts a harmonic pop masterpiece that nods toward an idea of baroque rock for the 21st century. It’s clearly a work that is inspired by those who appreciate the music of The Monkees or The Zombies, while also tirelessly binging on the sensibilities of The Beach Boy’s Pet Sounds and The Beatles Sgt Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band.

A great distinction for Introducing…The Mellons is this groups wall of sound approach.  The recording is clean but overwhelms with a encompassing vibrancy. The result is an album starts strong and doesn’t let it’s listener lapse into mediocrity. Rather Introducing…The Mellons remains engaging with a seemingly endless charm.  This is evident once the needle drops onto the opening track “Introducing…The Mellons” and then leads into “So Much To Say.” The latter track immediately captivates with an orchestral poptastic sound. “So Much To Say” is the kind of longing love song that is warm and easy to digest.

In contrast “Devils Advocate” comes across as a familiar tone found in “She’s Not There” by The Zombies. It’s mellow and groovy. Admittingly, this song doesn’t quite have the same moody tendency. However, “Devils Advocate” stands out by maintaining a smooth and uplifting sound. This is also true for the following track “It’s Just a Phase.”

Perhaps my favorite track on Introducing…The Mellons is “Salad Made of Butterflies.” This is the first track on the B-side and has a largely unique place on this record. For the most the material on Introducing…The Mellons floats along pop sentiments. “Salad Made of Butterflies”, on the other hand, captures the provocative nature of subdued paisley themed psychedelia. For its simplicity, this song is largely an instrumental that under the right influences service to twist and turn the mind. In doing so, this song builds up while leading the listener along to an out of sight abstract poem read by Jerry Meyer (who sounds very much like Ian Mcshane).  It’d do well as a single to be added to the que for a 21st century modernist night. Think of it as being alongside Child of Panoptes “Walk With Me” or The Creation Factory’s “You Got It.”

The next track “Strawberry Girl” offers a notable change in gears. This song comes across as playful and sweet. “Marmalade” brings this charm forward but with an enveloping sound. It’s a song that entices with a broad range. Furthermore “Marmalade” invokes a kind of nostalgia with the fullness of The Beatles Yellow Submarine. A similar notion can be suggested with “Hello, Sun.” As this track is bright and beautifully celebrates The Mellons overwhelming effect of vibrant music.

Introducing……The Mellons is truly a work of art.  If you needed an album to evoke feelings of optimistic tendencies then this is the record to be considered for your listening pleasure. Within its grooves are a combination of indie and pop that dabs with psychedelia. This music draws obvious influences from the iconic sunshine-tinged essence of the 1960s. That said, The Mellons aren’t reinventing the wheel. Instead they seek to bring the music forward while not betraying their influences. In this respect they do this quite well and have added a revived interest in baroque pop. So, go out and give Introducing…The Mellons a twirl on your turntable. You’ll be glad you did.

Music and Culture

The Boys Ranch

(L–R) Wren Kennedy, Samantha Dickens, Denney Fuller, Ian Francis and Conor Flynn. Photo: Matthew Hunter

On Nov. 16, SLUG Magazine presents SLUG Localized featuring The Boys Ranch, The Poppees and Say Hey at Urban Lounge. This evening will celebrate some of Utah’s finest surf, pop and rock n’ roll acts. Get ready to twist, shout and do the barracuda. SLUG Localized is sponsored by Uinta Brewing, High West Distillery, KRCL 90.9 FM and Spilt Ink SLC.

The Boys Ranch were founded by Denney Fuller and feature the talents of Wren Kennedy, Samantha Dickens, Conor Flynn and Ian Francis. Prior to forming the group, Fuller performed for years—including with Joshy Soul and The Cool—and has always carried a deep affinity for rock n’ roll, most notably for songs such as Sam The Sham and The Pharaohs’ “Wooly Bully” and The Ventures’ “Wipe Out.” Feeling electrified by these tunes, Fuller says, “They make me wanna get wild and run around the house.”

As a group, The Boys Ranch share a wide range of influences. Everything from The Clash to bossa nova, from Prince to The Beatles whet their creative appetites. Fuller says, “I really dig early rock n’ roll as well. Del Shannon, Roy Orbison, Bo Diddley and Little Richard are just great.” However, the band that prominently stands out for The Boys Ranch are The Kinks. “They are the blue-collar Beatles, in my opinion,” says Fuller. “They just have way too many dang good songs, and played exactly the way they wanted to play.”

Dig the full article on The Boys Ranch published by SLUG Magazine!!

Music and Culture

The Poppees

(L–R) Cody Rigby, Moo Rudolph, Sully Swoboda, Andres Mitchell and Michael Cuenco. Photo: Matthew Hunter

On Nov. 16, SLUG Magazine presents SLUG Localized featuring The Boys Ranch, The Poppees and Say Hey at Urban Lounge. This evening will celebrate some of Utah’s finest surf, pop and rock n’ roll acts. Get ready to twist, shout and do the barracuda. SLUG Localized is sponsored by Uinta Brewing, High West Distillery, KRCL 90.9 FM and Spilt Ink SLC.

The Poppees were born out of the withering petals of The Artificial Flower Company and blossomed as a band refreshed, renewed but familiar to the senses. They breathe life into a new era of jangly indie rock by evoking a concoction of 1960s harmonious Monkees-esque tunes that warm their listeners with a fuzzy daze of sweetened-eggnog-induced psychedelia. Their music is perfect for a tonic lounge or dimly lit speakeasy. They are, however, not to be confused with the 1970s power pop group of the same name. These Poppees are Andres Mitchell, Cody Rigby, Moo Rudolph, Sully Swoboda and Michael Cuenco. Rigby says, “Like a plant that grows and loses its leaves, we, too, grew into what we are now.”

Read the full article on The Poppee’s published by SLUG Magazine!!