New Music Rule No 666: there is never a bad time for a classic rock revival. So that’s good news for Philly’s Free Energy, a band who believe in the power of a monster power chord, glam rock guitar solos, pumping fists and a desire to go dancing in the moonlight.
Free Energy dudes Scott Wells and Paul Sprangers used to be in a band called Hockey Night. They were a bit of a big deal around Minneapolis but didn’t really receive much attention elsewhere.
The pair headed to Philadelphia, where they turned their dials towards classic rock radio. What they heard inspired them to chase bigger and better grooves and begin writing songs that reminded people of Thin Lizzy, Cheap Trick and Tom Petty.
LCD Soundsystem and DFA Records duo James Murphy and Pat Mahoney were amongst the first to be wowed by what they heard. While classic rock'n'roll may not be traditional DFA fare, Murphy and Mahoney nevertheless signed the band and worked on their debut album, Stuck On Nothing, which is set for release in January.
That album, if early tasters Dream Cityand Something in Commonare any guide, will be a riot of swaggering songs with crunchy, meaty hooks and throwaway na-na-na choruses.
The now five-strong Free Energy pull all the classic rock’n’roll moves so well that you wonder where the hell they’ve been since the 1970s.
“We’re trying to do right by our heroes, the bands that are referenced or that we are inspired by,” says Wells. “We’re trying to put ourselves against what they play on any corporate classic rock station and judge whether or not we’re doing a good job. That’s where we fit in our minds.”
www.myspace.com/ freeenergymusic
