MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2009
Just to give those of you that are unfamiliar with the Turbo Fruits an idea of what we're dealing with here, the band cites as some of their favorite pastimes "cliff jumping, cheap domestic beer, chainsaws, and porn". And yes, these influences are pretty evident on their frantic garage rock sophomore album Echo Kid. The Nashville based trio really seems to know how to channel that good old rotted left ventricle of rock and roll: let's drink a little too much, take off some clothes, smoke something, and have a good time. Despite all of the underage drinking and paint huffing, Echo Kid showcases some pretty sophisticated (no really!) blending of 50s, 60s, and 70s rock and punk, with various undertones of front man Jonas Stein's Be Your Own Pet days, of course. This time around the boys have thrown in a bit more melodic hooks and overall the album has a more fleshed-out feel than their debut.
Echo Kid opens with one of the loudest tracks on the whole album, "Want Some Mo'" which features the sounds of a thunderous motorcycle revving in the background while the boys chant with manic repetition "I want some mo', mo',mo'". From there Turbo Fruits delivers a few really great the kids aren't alright rockers like "Naked with You" and "Mama's Mad Cos I Fried my Brain" which is also the first single from the record. Then there are songs like "My Stupid Heart" and "On the Road" which feel like a synthesis of late fifties rock n roll chords doused in The Seeds. "Hold me" sounds like the Miracles' hit "You've Really Got a Hold on me" spiked with gin and Xanax. There is also an undeniable reverberation of Be Your Own Pet's agitated energy, but somehow Turbo Fruits just sound a little bit cooler. Overall Echo Kid is a twangy, scratchy batch of rebel garage rock of the ages with pounding drums, loud guitars, and a little wink thrown in here and there.
Evidently Turbo Fruits also have a small part in Drew Barrymore's upcoming film Whip It! which looks like a prototype Ellen Page movie plus a roller derby. So you can catch the boys acting skills this November and meanwhile check out Echo Kid which drops September 29th on Fat Possum Records.-Amelia Trask
