|
|
Magnet, April-May
1999
Led by singer/guitarist Frank Padellaro (formerly of defunct alt-country
faves the Scud Mountain Boys), King Radio creates cool, catchy - and occasionally
derivative - rock 'n' roll. The key is being talented enough to put a fresh
spin on your influences, and Padellaro and the boys accomplish quite a bit
on Mr. K is Dead by simply writing great songs. Imagine that. "Mother's
House" is Son Volt minus the oft-crippling lethargy. "King of
the Food Court (From the Musical Mall!) is a sweet, Ben Folds-esque piano
ballad that for whatever reason just sounds better than he does. "I-95"
rollicks like the best of Wilco, while "Flagrante Delicto" is
a super-charged garage rocker of which the Fleshtones would be proud. The
proceedings are infused with a sense of humor and a spirit of fun that are
infectious. A couple of middling country songs toward the end ("Cadillacs
in Heaven," "Mark Richard's Sister") don't fare as well,
but the hit-to-miss ratio is still outstanding. Mr. K is Dead, Go Home
won't change your life, but in a fundamental way, this record is life
affirming. --Matt Hickey
CMJ New Music Report, November 4, 1998
Massachusetts band King Radio was created by ex-Scud Mountain Boys bassist Frank Padellaro following the SMB's demise in 1997.
Proving that his musical ideas stretch beyond the lonesome, country feel of his former band,
King Radio's debut Mr. K. is Dead, Go Home, offers a wide array of dirt under the nails,
workman-like rock of the homegrown variety. The jagged, distinctly American feel of the band's
pop-rock songs make use of vintage, time-tested influences, augmented by stylistic nuances that
range from Old 97's-style romps on "Mark Richard's Sister" to the piano-driven elegy "King of the
Food Court," which sounds like it came from the Ben Folds repertoire. The band sounds best, however,
when it lets its roots rock leanings dominate, as on "DC-10" and the Wilco-like "Mother's House."
--Glen Sansone
The Boston Phoenix, Boston, Massachusetts, November 27, 1998
Not many folks get the roots rock/power-pop connection, but there's a generation of musicians out there
who are old enough to have heard the Raspberries, the Stones and The Band played back to back on
the radio, and young enough to have jumbled them all together in their heads at the same time.
Bands who combine these influences and get it right, like Velvet Crush, are typically and unjustly
rewarded with commercial failure, but that's not stopping Boston's Tar Hut label. It's fifth
release, Mr. K is Dead, Go Home, is by Northampton's King Radio, the brainchild of former
Scud Mountain Boy Frank Padellaro (guitar/vocals).
Produced by sometime Lilys member and Pernice Brother Thom Monahan, the disc is built on the creative
tension between Padellaro's McCartney via Monkees melodies and weepy slacker ballads and the storm
and twang of bassist/vocalist Jim Smola, with whom Padellaro shares songwriting duties. Although the
disc shoots off in enough directions to make your head spin (delicate orch pop horn arrangements
give way to garage rock dirge), all of King Radio's tunes have one thing in common: solid songwriting delivered
in three minutes or less. 3 out of 4 stars. -Meredith Ochs
Details, July 1997
Frank V. Padellaro: Bass guitarist and backup vocalist for the Scud Mountain Boys.
Age: 26
Home base: Northampton, Massachusetts
Previous band: Miss Reed; also sang for twelve years as a professional choral and opera singer.
Current Job: I own and operate a guitar-building and repair shop, and I work as a tax preparer, bookkeeper, and accountant. When I was twelve or thirteen years old, my father paid me to file, answer phones, and make copies in his accounting office during tax season. Pretty soon I was doing simple returns on my own desk, and by the time I could vote, I had my own office.
Last Non-Music Paycheck: $300 for doing the Scud Mountain Boys' income tax return, which I completed at four in the morning during a tour.
Worst Thing About Your Jobs: At the guitar shop, I have to inhale a lot of solvents and wood dust, and customers of all kinds can get a little bit wierd sometimes. As for taxes, they're boring. And if Joe (Pernice, bandmate) asks me one more tax question in the van I'm going to wring his neck.
Best Part About Music: I love traveling and the hotel rooms; the sheets are clean every night and soap is always new. But the only way music could be my only job would be if demanded so much of my time that I had absolutely no time to do anything else.
Worst Job You Ever Held: I worked delivering fried chicken for a lame regional chain of chicken stores. I was greasy and all I ever ate was chicken, mashed potatoes, and coleslaw. People barely tipped, and I always had to worry about getting hit on the head for my money or my chicken.
back to top
|
