Pop versus punk

Underball aren't out to set records, they just want their own back

by Brett Milano

The most telling thing I can say about Underball -- and, hell, a high compliment in my book -- is that their new Gimme Back My Ball! (CherryDisc) opens with the most blatant "Louie Louie" ripoff in eons. The track in question, "Strawberry Bullet," is a catchy little number about breaking up with a weird girlfriend and would earn a thumbs-up just for the line "I want my fucking T. Rex records back!" But listen behind the tune to the guitar riff -- yep, it's those chords, played with proper spirit by singer/guitarist Greg Fiore. It worked once, it worked a million times, and it works again here.

"It's probably there, but I hate that fuckin' song," Fiore notes when the "Louie" resemblance is brought up (meanwhile drummer Peter DeVincent breaks into laughter). "Maybe it's the redundancy of it, but `Louie Louie' rubs me the wrong way."

Fact is, Underball would like to avoid being lumped in with "Louie Louie" or punk rock in general. Whatever their name or the cover of their CD (which recalls those cartoons on the Ramones' Rocket to Russia) might suggest, Underball insist they're a pop group, and their CD tilts strongly in that direction, with a sound that favors the tunes and vocals over the guitars. Think of the Real Kids, the Undertones, or the more tuneful sound of the Queers' last album. Appropriately, their CD-release gig this weekend will be part of an all-pop bill with Trona and Gravel Pit, Saturday afternoon (January 18) at the Rat.

The band's three members all have punk roots. Fiore and DeVincent belong to the legions who were in Facts About Rats ("I think I was the 30th drummer," says DeVincent). Bassist Ed Devlin was in Toecutter. Then Fiore had his life changed when he heard Big Star and planned his next band accordingly. For his part, DeVincent claims to be the world's biggest Devo fan and is counting the days till their proposed reunion next summer: "I'll be there screaming like a teenage girl at a Beatles concert."

It was Fiore who dreamed this band up. "I think the first phone call went, `Let's have a pop band.' I wanted to stay away from the punk thing without losing it completely." So why call themselves Underball, a name with definite punkish connotations? "We get asked that a lot," Fiore admits. "I didn't think the name correlated us with punk rock; we admit we hadn't heard of Madball or Honkyball. The name has gotten us into some situations we shouldn't have been in, as far as billings go; initially we started getting real heavy-type shows, and a lot of the kids weren't real receptive to it." Indeed, their sound is more in a traditional Boston garage vein, something they'll admit to under prodding. "There are a lot of old-school veterans, if you will, that like us, but we have some young kids who are fans as well," says Fiore. "Not too many, though," adds DeVincent.

The punkest thing about Underball may be their song angles. "Toaster Thrower" concerns a guy who falls back in love with his girlfriend after she shows her mettle by conking him in the head with her Amana. And "Red Ball Jets" asks a musical question that boils down to "If we break up, can I keep your sneakers?" -- the ripping-off of property from ex-girlfriends, and vice versa, being a recurring theme on this album. "If they dump you, you can always go back and get your shit," Fiore explains. "But when I dump them, I become a recluse. Shit, I'm dead now; they'll all read this and I'll never get laid again. But that's okay as long as I get my copy of The Slider back."

So we can assume that the T. Rex line above came straight from the heart? "Yeah, I got a few albums out there that haven't been returned yet. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in this room who doesn't," says Fiore, scanning the Middle East at dinnertime. "We try to maintain an element of humor, because we're not gonna slay anyone on our looks. Musically, nobody here is breaking any records. But keeping a good pop sense and having a sense of humor is a good thing."

SCISSORFIGHT

One band who will never be praised for their pop sense, or their politeness, is Scissorfight, a New Hampshire group who contributed the standout track "Planet of Ass" to last year's Wonderdrug compilation and now follow it up with a CD, Guaranteed Kill, on the same label. (They have gotten more polite in one respect: their guitarist is now listed as Jay. On the compilation he was named Fuck You.) The band make their claim to social and political relevance with the CD packaging, showing a rather grisly cold-cuts sculpture on the front and bearing the legend "Fuck You -- Eat Meat" on the inside. Whether this is a conscious snub at the more environmentally aware bands on the circuit -- take that, Tree -- is open to question, but Scissorfight have fewer qualms about playing it crude and stoopid. And they're plenty fast, which makes them a necessary antidote to the current slower-is-better trend. Given the aptly named Ironlung's guttural way of singing, you'd get the picture by imagining your favorite Black Sabbath album with the instruments sped up and the vocal slowed down.

I'm still partial to "Planet of Ass" (included here): its proudly offensive lyric ("I'm gonna fuck you in the can"), wonderfully moronic chorus (basically the word "ass" repeated a whole bunch of times), and overanxious speedmetal sound all make it some kind of classic. It's also the only time that Ironlung breaks out of the ultra-low register. Almost as much fun is "Supervirgin vs. Death Machine" -- granted, it would be hard to write a bad song with that title. There are times when Scissorfight flirt with the standard sludge approach and threaten to take the horror-movie references seriously, but the depraved irreverence saves the day (plus the production by Wonderdrug honcho Ken Cmar, who keeps the tunes short and allows for dynamics in the guitar sound). You come out of this album a little exhausted -- and a little relieved that these guys live all the way up in New Hampshire.

VAN HALEN TRIBUTE

Work on CherryDisc's Van Halen tribute is proceeding apace, and the finished CD, which should hit stores in the spring, will include a mix of bands you'd expect to be on it (Honkyball, Sam Black Church), bands you might not expect to be VH fans (Trona, Talking to Animals, Verago-go), and bands you definitely wouldn't expect. In the latter category are Mary Lou Lord, who gets the plum choice of "Jump," and Gigolo Aunts, who cover "Why Can't This Be Love" and "make it sound like a Beatles song," according to label honcho John Horton. No, Gary Cherone isn't involved as yet, but Horton is aiming even higher (or lower, depending on your perspective). A handful of bands joined up to produce an instrumental track for "Panama," and a copy of the tape has been sent to David Lee Roth, who's at least had time on his hands lately. "I don't have any expectation of him coming through, but the effort has to be put in," Horton explains.

CherryDisc has also signed Boy Wonder -- the band fronted by Paula Kelley (formerly of Drop Nineteens and Hot Rod), whose pop knack has been noted in these pages. Look for their debut next month.

COMING UP

Even if you couldn't care less about the Grammys, tonight's Grammy-sponsored showcase at the Middle East is a good opportunity to see five good bands -- Jocobono, Splashdown, Ramona Silver, Poundcake, and Mistle Thrush -- for free. And head upstairs while you're at it to catch a Harriet Records bill with Vehicle Flips, Prickly, and Orans. Meanwhile, the Daddys are at Harpers Ferry, Skingame and Liquid Chaos are at Mama Kin, and Forgetful Jones and What About George are at T.T. the Bear's Place . . . The Derangers headline an all-surf bill at Club Bohemia on Friday; Slumberland are at Mama Kin, and Verago-go and Serum make up a strong double bill at the Linwood. And my favorite band in the world, New Orleans's Continental Drifters, headline the Middle East. Expect a preview of Peter Holsapple's solo album, and shout for "Dedicated to the One I Love" if you're with a date.

By my rough count, Come played only five local shows in '96, so their gig at T.T.'s (with Shelf Life and Kaspar Hauser) on Saturday shouldn't be missed. Barrence Whitfield brings his new combo to the House of Blues, and an all-star cast of winners and losers come together for the Noise's Maxie Awards at Club Bohemia . . . Possibly last year's most buzzed-about country act, BR5-49, are traditionalists with a twist, and their show at Johnny D's last fall was a hoot. They're at the same club Sunday. Meanwhile, the Jesus Lizard begin a two-night stand at the Middle East . . . Songwriter extraordinaire Steve Wynn hits Charlie's Tap for a free show on Monday; Kevin Salem and Jules Verdone (as a duo) are Todd Thibaud's guests at Bill's Bar . . . The first Ramone to hit town since their break-up, drummer Marky, brings his Intruders to Axis Wednesday; the Peecocks open.