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The best kept secret in music
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FRED AND ETHEL Can You See the Future? (Spiritone)
No, the Mertzes don't have unreleased material. Fred and Ethel is the pseudonym for the local folk-rock duo of Tom Janezic and Jude Kinnear. Recording acoustically for some time and contributing to numerous folk/benefit compilations, the pair is proud to share their latest album with a full band. Producer Kenn Fox maintains the majority of rhythm, fill and bass guitar on the album along with Randy Mueller on drums, while Fred and Ethel-excuse me, Tom and Jude-focus on a most nostalgic sort of vocal harmonization.
Although titled Can You See the Future?, the album concentrates more on a past generation, where similar mystic phrases were pondered in bare feet and passed around a smoky huddle on a California beachfront. The title track does, however, hold more resonance as a concerned question, drawing upon aged lessons in peace and political activism and pleading, for us to "wake up and realize where we're heading."
Musical style has a definite link to the 1960s fusion of folk and psychedelia, incorporating the sounds of all the notorious pop vocal groups of the time. Take the harmony of a congenial twosome like Sonny and Cher, the sun-shiny instrumentation of the Mamas and the Papas or the Lovin' Spoonful, the darkness and peculiarity of the Airplane, a bit of Monkees folly, and you're close to knowing Fred and, Ethel. What distinguishes the group from comparison is their own infusion of rockabilly twang and hard-rocking rhythm with the homey heritage of Americana. Transcendent tracks are "Rifles" with its infectious chorus and sing-along accesibility (a constant for most of the group's songs) and the live-show-favorite "In Cement."
-Graham Fons
- Review from the Milwaukee Shepherd Express
Discography
Fred and Ethel - Self Titled (c)2000
(aka the Sunflower Album)
Can You See The Future? (c)2004
Fred and Ethel
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Tom Janezic's bass-influenced rhythmic guitar style and Jude Kinnear's stunning vocals and visual presence are why FRED and ETHEL have rocked the Midwest for 15 years with a stage performance unrivaled for its contagious energy. The relentless rhythm, flawless harmony, quirky hot licks and off the cuff nature of the unpretentious duo creates a sound that is spontaneous and powerful. Tom and Jude's voices blend together perfectly and they have an inimitable way of conveying mood and feeling into the songs they perform. Their original music is energetic, emotional and insightful with lyrics that reveal a passion for life, love and nature. What distinguishes the duo from comparison is Tom's quirky guitar style that blends rockabilly twang and hard-rocking rhythm with the homey heritage of Americana and Jude's voice, best described as a force of nature; raw and honest, primal and a little dirty, yet possessing its own unique beauty.
FRED and ETHEL "tour" endlessly, performing over a hundred gigs a year at coffeehouses, cafes, churches, pubs, bars, taverns, sidewalk sales, marketplaces, restaurants, biker parties, yuppie parties, hippie parties, fun parties, not so fun parties, weddings, campfires, political rallies, peace rallies, benefit concerts, house concerts, record stores, book stores, on the radio and television, under trees, tents and umbrellas, on tables, boats and even stages - including Shank Hall in Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Zoo Ala Carte and Summerfest.
FRED and ETHEL have released two albums including one with a rock band produced by a small independent record label. They are currently working on solo projects and a live performance CD.
FRED and ETHEL have been nominated twice for the Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) Folk Artist of the Year. FRED and ETHEL have shared the stage with many musicians including The Bel Airs, Kevn Kinney, Paul Kemnitz, Todd Snider, The Radiators and Bo Diddley.
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