The Minnesota Fats

CD Review:

Artist: The Minnesota Fats
Title: Whatever Happened to Pancho Villa?
Website: http://www.theminnesotafats.com
Style: Indie Rock
Rating: 8.75 out of 10
By Senior Staff Writer C.W. Ross

Whatever Happened to Pancho Villa? is the musical debut from the band The Minnesota Fats.

For those of you who are curious, like me, if their name has anything to do with the famous American pool hustler of the same name, the answer is yes.

I asked band drummer Cedric Freppel about it, and here's what he had to say: "Regarding the name, we did take it from the pool player indeed. We know him, in fact, from the movie the Hustler. But we have to admit that we didn't choose the name for its pool-related meaning, but because it just sounded right for us!"

Beside Cedric, the band's other members are Sam Higton on bass and Ryan Lauder on vocals and guitar.

The band is based in the UK and lists artists like The Who, Bob Dylan, Ben Harper, and The Doors as some of their musical influences.

Their sound is a blend of indie and modern rock music, with strong guitar leads along with vocals that bring words like "smooth" and "crisp" to mind.

The drum parts have a lot of snare sound to them, switching to deep beats when needed in the song. The drums rotate from front and center to in the background playing a supporting role depending on the need of the individual song.

I also liked the harmonica parts that are found in several of this EP's songs. They work well in their role of interplaying with the guitar and drum parts to enhance the musical listening experience. To me, they have a feel like the cherry on the top of an ice cream sundae, adding just that little bit of extra pleasure to the experience.

As with most good EPs, the music is over way too fast. I really enjoyed what I was hearing and I'm looking forward to the group's next, hopefully full length, release. - C.W. Ross, www.indiemusicstop.com

CD Review:

Artist: The Minnesota Fats
Title: Whatever Happened to Pancho Villa?
Website: http://www.theminnesotafats.com
Style: Indie Rock
Rating: 8.75 out of 10
By Senior Staff Writer C.W. Ross

Whatever Happened to Pancho Villa? is the musical debut from the band The Minnesota Fats.

For those of you who are curious, like me, if their name has anything to do with the famous American pool hustler of the same name, the answer is yes.

I asked band drummer Cedric Freppel about it, and here's what he had to say: "Regarding the name, we did take it from the pool player indeed. We know him, in fact, from the movie the Hustler. But we have to admit that we didn't choose the name for its pool-related meaning, but because it just sounded right for us!"

Beside Cedric, the band's other members are Sam Higton on bass and Ryan Lauder on vocals and guitar.

The band is based in the UK and lists artists like The Who, Bob Dylan, Ben Harper, and The Doors as some of their musical influences.

Their sound is a blend of indie and modern rock music, with strong guitar leads along with vocals that bring words like "smooth" and "crisp" to mind.

The drum parts have a lot of snare sound to them, switching to deep beats when needed in the song. The drums rotate from front and center to in the background playing a supporting role depending on the need of the individual song.

I also liked the harmonica parts that are found in several of this EP's songs. They work well in their role of interplaying with the guitar and drum parts to enhance the musical listening experience. To me, they have a feel like the cherry on the top of an ice cream sundae, adding just that little bit of extra pleasure to the experience.

As with most good EPs, the music is over way too fast. I really enjoyed what I was hearing and I'm looking forward to the group's next, hopefully full length, release. - C.W. Ross, www.indiemusicstop.com