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We are the world
Edan courts penguins; American Hi-Fi escape Japan
BY CHRIS RUCKER
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Getting a straight answer out of Edan is like trying to bottle lightning. The Boston hip-hop MC/DJ/producer has a reputation as something of a goofball — he’s been known to take the stage in a wig now and then — and he stole the title for his new album from the Go-Go’s, but Beauty and the Beat (Lewis Recordings) is no joke, son. Underground heads are already saluting the first single, "Fumbling over Words That Rhyme," a three-minute hip-hop history lesson that highlights Edan’s uncanny ability to replicate the style of rap’s hear-the-drums-and-get-wicked golden age. Pitchfork panned it (good: let ’em scare off all those punk-ass indie fakers), but even those jokers will likely be on E’s jock as soon as they hear tracks like "Funky Voltron," with tag-team partner Insight, and "Rock & Roll," which is based on a devastating nuclear-guitar loop that rings like Velvet Underground and explodes like Black Sabbath while Edan and Dagha (of Electric Co.) name-drop Pearls Before Swine and Judas Priest. Look for the national press to fall in line behind this disc starting this month — and watch everyone marvel at how E twists "Funky Drummer" breaks and deep-crate psych-rock samples into The Next Big Thing. Meanwhile, Edan is thinking "worldwide. [The album will be available on] six continents. We’re working on the Antarctic distro. Penguins are proving to be the toughest negotiators." Last time we heard from former Letters to Cleo and Veruca Salt drummer Stacey Jones, his white-belted, major-label pop-punk band American Hi-Fi had just had a huge radio/MTV hit with "Flavor of the Weak," a song about getting stoned and playing Nintendo. (A video inspired by the cult-fave documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot didn’t hurt either.) But the title of their single proved prophetic: a Japanese live album and a studio follow-up came and went so quick that they barely registered, unless you caught their "The Art of Losing" on that Coors Lite commercial. At one time, the Hi-Fi had been a top priority at Island/Def Jam, along with then-newcomers Sum 41. But their forthcoming Hearts on Parade (due April 14) languished without a label for nearly a year — except in Japan, where it came out on Universal. Then a few months ago, Maverick snapped them up. The big turn-around in their fortunes came when they hooked up with Butch Walker, who’d become an A-list producer thanks to his work with Avril Lavigne, the Donnas, and Bowling for Soup. Back in the ’90s, Walker had a few novelty hits himself, though his glam-metal band Southgang and alt-rock band Marvelous 3 both failed to break platinum. That experience made Walker and Hi-Fi seem destined to work together — after all, Marv3’s one hit was called "Freak of the Week." Thanks to their hand-in-glove partnership with Butch, Hi-Fi spent last fall opening for Avril, though only as Walker’s backing band. Walker also lent his name to Hearts on Parade, and that no doubt helped persuade labels to give Hi-Fi a second chance. "We did a lot of the record ourselves," says Jones, "and Butch came in at the end to put the bells and whistles on. He shared our vision for the record and was kinda like an extra member." Not much has changed on Parade: the band have tweaked their sound to stay current — think Story of the Year and Switchfoot — and traded up for a new drummer, Jason Sutter, who’s known in these parts for his work with Juliana Hatfield and Jack Drag. American Hi-Fi have never had a problem writing songs that sound as if they should be enormous stadium-rock hits, and this disc is no exception: there’s not much "alternative" about it and many potential Top 40 pop singles. The big question is: will Maverick go balls-to-the-wall to promote it? "I hope we are still a major-label priority," Jones says. "I think the Hi-Fi is well-suited for a major. Maverick has the vibe of an indie but major-label power. It’s the best of both worlds." Just back from a Japanese tour, the band play Carson Daly’s Last Call on April 5, then a homecoming gig at Avalon with Bowling for Soup on April 7. Chris Rucker is the host of New England Product, which airs Sundays from 9 to 10 p.m. on WFNX 101.7 FM.
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