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Rocket Park - Teenage Folklore (1999) & The Effects Of Eating Too Much Television (2000)
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A bit of
classic rock, a bit of prog, a hint of psychedelia, a spirited whiff of
punk, and a whole lotta rock 'n' roll.
The
CD, called 'Teenage Folklore' and showcasing the
band's love of pure pop, punk, glam- and prog-rock and the combination
thereof, along with the confidence to get fancy with them, is pretty
impressive for a debut release. Guitar, drum loops, percussion,
keyboards, drums, bass, pretty harmonies, etc., merge smoothly, and
over the course of the album, the band repeatedly pulls out engaging
ideas. Kudos, again, to Mike Martin at the Broom Factory for an
excellent recording job; 'Teenage Folklore' sounds incredible." -
Randall Roberts, the Riverfront Times, Wednesday, September
15th, 1999
Rocket Park is a band that
sticks out like a sore thumb in any crowd. While other bands carefully
strive for genre purity and aesthetic homogeneity, Rocket Park revels
in all its messy contradictions. Bassist Dave Harris whips up the crowd
with his rock star/party animal leanings while lead
vocalist/keyboardist Brian Andrew Marek brings a delicate, unashamedly
artsy sensibility to the proceedings. Drummer Eric Moore generates
enough charisma and visual pizzazz to make him seem like a frontman
while guitarist Steve Minnis lurks in the shadows, coaxing sounds both
beautiful and frightening from his Les Paul. The music itself defies
description - a bit of classic rock, a bit of prog, a hint of
psychedelia, a spirited whiff of punk, and a whole lotta rock ‘n’ roll
- but no matter what the pedigree of its individual elements, the music
remains very accessible, very addictive, and very fun. As a result,
Rocket Park has found itself opening for a truly eclectic variety of
headliners: Saigon Kick, the Marshall Tucker Band, Jimmy Buffett, the
Fixx, Alex Chilton and the Strokes!
Rocket Park was
originally formed in 1998 by Brian Andrew Marek and Eric Moore as a
studio project, but an enthusiastic reaction to their first tentative
shows (with original guitarist "Manik" Myk Thompson and bass player
John Sebben) encouraged them to pursue the separate but equal worlds of
recording and live performance side by side. New dimensions in
confidence, tightness and energy were brought to the band when Sebben
was replaced by former Free Dirt bassist Dave Harris in 1999 and, more
recently, when Steve Minnis took over guitar duties from Thompson.
To date, Rocket Park
has released two self-produced full-length albums (1999’s Teenage
Folklore and 2000’s The Effects Of Eating Too Much Television) and
appeared on three St. Louis-based compilations (Axes & Snaxes,
Better Than Fruitcake and Pajama Party), earning rave reviews from the
critics, a growing curiosity from the general public and even
nominations for the prestigious Slammies music awards. The band’s music
has been heard on numerous stations (both commercial and otherwise)
across the St. Louis radio dial, and a surprise hit of the 2000
Christmas season was "Rudolph the Redneck Reindeer", Rocket Park’s
warped melding of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s
"Freebird" (found on the aforementioned Better Than Fruitcake
compilation)! Rocket Park continues to win local fans through its
masterfully crafted studio concoctions and energetic live performances,
but recent times have seen the band "taking the show on the road", with
the result that St. Louisans are no longer alone in knowing and
enjoying the first class, multi-faceted, over-the-top rock ‘n’ roll
that comes from Rocket Park.
In Brian Andrew
Marek's own words I'd describe the music as
"eclectic pop rock with frequent progressive rock leanings (of a
melodic/symphonic/compositional nature moreso than virtuosity)".
The guitarist wants to be Jimmy Page, the drummer wants to be
Keith Moon, and the keyboardist (moi) utilizes an arsenal of vintage
keyboard sounds rivalling Rick Wakeman's stage setup circa 1973.
The songs, production and harmonies may remind one of
Electric Light Orchestra, and Mellotron junkies (of which I am one) are
advised that the second album ("Television") features the string and
flute sounds we love so.
Pleased listeners
interested in owning physical objects and/or rewarding our efforts can
buy either album at CDBaby.com, but if you don't, that's fine as well.
We're much more interested in having a discerning audience
listen to and, hopefully, enjoy our music.
Yours in the joy of music and
the freedom to listen,
Brian Andrew
Marek currently of Bargain Basement and, coming soon,
The Village Green Preservation
Society
We will always
support the artists whose main concern is how their music will reach a
wider audience and not how to make money out of
it. Lost-In-Tyme team
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