Freak*on*ica

Last updated

Freak*on*ica
Girls Against Boys Freakonica.jpeg
Studio album by
Girls Against Boys
ReleasedMay 18, 1998
RecordedOctober 1997
StudioSeedy Underbelly (Minneapolis)
Genre
Length47:26
Label DGC
Producer Nick Launay
Girls Against Boys chronology
House of GVSB
(1996)		Freak*on*ica
(1998)		 You Can't Fight What You Can't See
(2002)
Singles from Freak*on*ica
  1. "Park Avenue"
    Released: May 5, 1998 [6]
  2. "Roxy"
    Released: December 14, 1998 [7]
  3. "Psycho Future"
    Released: February 1999 [8]

Freak*on*ica is the fifth studio album by American rock band Girls Against Boys, released on May 18, 1998, through DGC Records. It was their first and only album for a major label. [3] It was produced by Nick Launay.

Contents

Freak*On*Ica received moderate success in the US, though its stylistic shift garnered a mixed reception from critics and fans. [3] By 2002, the album had sold 44,000 copies in the United States. [9] Lead singer and guitarist Scott McCloud has described that period as having “an atmosphere of stress. But I remember it coming from me...There were no Geffen people in the studio. All the mistakes that were made were made by us.” [10]

Production

Girls Against Boys' previous album, House of GVSB (1996), exemplified the group's famous post-punk sound but also featured some songs that reflected their emergent interests in trip hop, hip hop and dance music, including "Vera Cruz", "Life in Pink" and "Zodiac Love Team", foreshadowing their primary direction on Freak*on*ica. The group's frontman and guitarist, Scott McCloud, commented on Freak*on*ica: "Our music always had a groove. We decided we wanted to make an electronic-based rock record. In the mid-'90s, that music was exciting. Lots of bands were dabbling in it. We decided to see how we could implement some of those sounds into our next record. We thought, 'We have always loved bands like Depeche Mode, so let's experiment." [3] As McCloud explained, the group felt the freedom to experiment as the record was their first in their three-album deal with DGC, who left the group alone to make the recording they wanted, although it would ultimately be their only record for the label. [3]

Critic Ned Raggett compared its crisp and clean "techno-metal" sound to Garbage and noted the use of "weird" blasts of guitar and looped samples of noise. [11] Matt Diehl noted the "post-punk guitars and industrial-strength electronica rhythms" and called it "sci-fi deca-dance" [4] John Mulvey noted that the group's formula still prioritised guitar riffs over songs, dual bass guitars and "muffled samples", but noted the addition of "a pricey industrial-style production in what one suspects is a vain attempt to draw in the Marilyn Manson massive." [12]

Critical reception

Contemporaneous reviews

Professional ratings
Initial reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
Entertainment Weekly A− [4]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [14]
Melody Maker Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
NME 6/10 [12]
Pitchfork 7.7/10 [5]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Select Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Spin 7/10 [18]
Wall of Sound 71/100 [19]

Freak*on*ica received mixed-to-positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Matt Diehl of Entertainment Weekly called it "GVSB's most mesmerizing collection yet", drawing attention to the funky, dystopian sound and Scott McCloud's "evocatively dissolute lyrics". [4] In The Independent , Angela Lewis welcomed the band's return and noted the addition of "Millennium paranoia" to their lyrical themes. She added: "Every song is a bleak cocktail of bad blues, but with an idiosyncrasy that's made them much missed." [13] Brent DiCrescenzo of Pitchfork commented that while the group's decision to eschew their former hardcore label Touch and Go for the major label DGC could invoke accusations of selling out from "indie-rock pundits", their new sound "seems more like a natural progression than a clever ploy to sell more records", and believes their appeal remains in "their ability to write awesome, swinging rock burners that rely more on the band's ace rhythm section than on guitar skills." [5] Paul Rees of Kerrang! wrote that there was "absolutely no way [the album will] make Girls Against Boys the mainstream darlings Geffen would like, but as an exercise in sonic terrorism, it remains state of the art." [20]

The A.V. Club called Freak*on*ica Girls Against Boys' worst album, dismissing the band for "[trading] in its skewed take on dance music for the real thing, and to poor effect." They said: "To its credit, Freak*on*ica is perhaps the best Filter record ever, a fact that should score the band some much-needed airplay on alternative radio. But those looking for a return to past glories should forget it." [1] Jimmy Blackburn of Vox similarly criticized the album as a "poor return" for the band that left them "retreating into commercial mediocrity". [21] NME critic John Mulvey noted several "terrific moments", but suspected that the group had become "bored with what they do" and had nearly exhausted their formula. [12] Bob Gulla of Wall of Sound wrote that the "highly anticipated" album would, according to some, "help to redefine heavy, guitar-based rock for the millennium." However, he disagreed; writing that while the record is worth hearing, much of it explores the "same dark, blank spaces" with few hooks or melodies, contending: "Impressively postindustrial, Freak*on*ica winds up being more admirable than exhilarating, more sudden than enduring." [19]

Retrospective reviews

Professional ratings
Retrospective reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Christgau's Consumer Guide Rating-Christgau-neither.png [22]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [23]
The Great Indie Discography 6/10 [8]
MusicHound Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [24]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [25]

Later critical reviews were more negative. In his retrospective review, Ned Raggett of AllMusic wrote that Freak*on*ica was "practically a joke, sounding more like a commercial band attempting to cover Girls Against Boys than the group itself"; he criticized Launay's production for smoothing out the band's sound. [11] Writing in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), Arion Berger said that the album "fulfilled the indie cliché of [a band] accepting a major label contract and releasing a weak distillation of its former sound". [25] In his review of Girls Against Boys' follow-up album You Can't Fight What You Can't See (2002), Kevin Adickes of Pitchfork described the album as a "calamity" and a "discotheque disaster". [26] The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (2006) called it "disappointingly pedestrian", [23] whilst Robert Christgau gave it a "Neither" rating in his book Christgau'sConsumer Guide: Albums of the 90's (2000). [22]

Writing in 2023, PopMatters critic Bob Stout believes that the album now "sounds like a preview of 21st-century mainstream music, a decadent mix of electronic and guitars with lyrics that read as a tongue-in-cheek critique of the high life. Girls Against Boys sought to make a dance record with guitars, and it delivers on that fully." He commented that the group broke ground in 1998 by "playing riffs that sound like samples and leaning further into synthesizers and the groove-heavy drumming", and that this prefigured how it is now commonplace for pop music to "lean heavily into club music". He concluded: "Given the blending of rock and electronic music that has dominated the pop charts for some time, it becomes clear that Freak*on*Ica was ahead of its time. ... Girls Against Boys weren’t the only band blending electronic and rock music at the time. They were just one of the few doing it seamlessly, whether longtime fans chose to see it or not. Twenty-five years later, it’s likely that Freak*on*Ica would be embraced for the elements that made it so maligned in 1998." [3]

Track listing

  1. "Park Avenue" – 3:50
  2. "Pleasurized" – 3:39
  3. "Psycho-Future" – 3:32
  4. "Black Hole" – 4:16
  5. "Roxy" - 4:19
  6. "One Firecracker" – 3:47
  7. "Speedway" – 3:43
  8. "Exorcisto" – 3:56
  9. "Vogue Thing" – 3:53
  10. "Push the Fader" – 4:01
  11. "Exile" – 4:20
  12. "Cowboy's Orbit" – 4:04

Charts

Release history

Release history for Freak*on*ica
ReigonLabelFormatDateCatalog #Ref.
Europe Geffen
May 18, 1998GED 25156 [31]
United StatesDGC LP May 19, 1998DGC2-25156 [32]
  • CD
  • CS
June 2, 1998DGCD-25156

Related Research Articles

<i>Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow</i> 1970 studio album by Funkadelic

Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow is the second studio album by American funk rock band Funkadelic, released in July 1970 by Westbound Records. It charted at No. 92 in the US, the band's highest charting album release until 1978's One Nation Under a Groove, and included the No. 82 single "I Wanna Know If It's Good to You?"

<i>Maggot Brain</i> 1971 studio album by Funkadelic

Maggot Brain is the third studio album by the American funk rock band Funkadelic, released by Westbound Records in July 1971. It was produced by bandleader George Clinton and recorded at United Sound Systems in Detroit during late 1970 and early 1971. The album was the final LP recorded by the original Funkadelic lineup; after its release, founding members Tawl Ross (guitar), Billy Nelson (bass), and Tiki Fulwood (drums) left the band for various reasons.

<i>One Fierce Beer Coaster</i> 1996 studio album by Bloodhound Gang

One Fierce Beer Coaster is the second studio album by American band Bloodhound Gang, released on December 3, 1996. Produced by Jimmy Pop, it was the band's first release on Geffen Records, and the first to feature "Evil" Jared Hasselhoff on bass guitar, and DJ Q-Ball on the turntables. The music of One Fierce Beer Coaster encompasses a number of genres and its lyrics are rife with toilet humor.

<i>Pinkerton</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Weezer

Pinkerton is the second studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996, by DGC Records. The guitarist and vocalist Rivers Cuomo wrote most of Pinkerton while studying at Harvard University, after abandoning plans for a rock opera, Songs from the Black Hole. It was the last Weezer album to feature bassist Matt Sharp, who left the group in 1998.

<i>Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star</i> 1994 studio album by Sonic Youth

Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star is the eighth studio album by American experimental rock band Sonic Youth, released on May 10, 1994, by DGC Records. It was produced by Butch Vig and recorded at Sear Sound studio in New York City, the same studio where the band's 1987 album Sister was recorded. Unlike its predecessor Dirty, Experimental Jet Set features a more low-key approach and references the band's earlier work on the independent record label SST Records. The album contains quieter and more relaxed songs that deal with personal and political topics.

<i>A Thousand Leaves</i> 1998 studio album by Sonic Youth

A Thousand Leaves is the tenth studio album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on CD and cassette on May 12, 1998, by DGC Records. A double-LP vinyl issue had been released three weeks earlier on My So Called Records. It was the band's first album recorded at their own studio in Lower Manhattan, which was built with the money they had made at the 1995 Lollapalooza festival. Since the band had an unlimited amount of time to work in their studio, the album features numerous lengthy and improvisational tracks that were developed unevenly. The highly experimental extended plays Anagrama, Slaapkamers met slagroom, and Invito al ĉielo were recorded simultaneously with the album.

<i>In Utero</i> 1993 studio album by Nirvana

In Utero is the third and final studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 21, 1993, by DGC Records. After breaking into the mainstream with their second album, Nevermind (1991), Nirvana hired Steve Albini to record In Utero, seeking a more complex, abrasive sound that was reminiscent of their work prior to Nevermind. Although the singer and primary songwriter Kurt Cobain claimed that the album was "very impersonal", many of its songs contain heavy allusions to his personal life and struggles, expressing feelings of angst that were common on the band's previous album.

<i>Two Against Nature</i> 2000 studio album by Steely Dan

Two Against Nature is the eighth studio album by American rock band Steely Dan. Their first studio album in 20 years, it was recorded from 1997 to 1999 and released on February 29, 2000, by Giant Records.

<i>Weezer</i> (Blue Album) 1994 studio album by Weezer

Weezer is the debut studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on May 10, 1994, by DGC Records. It was produced by Ric Ocasek of the Cars.

<i>Dirty</i> (Sonic Youth album) 1992 album by Sonic Youth

Dirty is the seventh full-length studio album and second double album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on July 21, 1992, by DGC Records. The band recorded and co-produced the album with Butch Vig in early 1992 at the Magic Shop recording studios. The sound on Dirty was inspired by the popularity of grunge music at the time, and has been described by Billboard magazine as experimental rock.

<i>NYC Ghosts & Flowers</i> 2000 studio album by Sonic Youth

NYC Ghosts & Flowers is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on May 16, 2000 by DGC Records. The highly experimental album is considered to be a reaction to the theft of the band's instruments in July 1999, when several irreplaceable guitars and effects pedals were stolen. NYC Ghosts & Flowers was the first album since Bad Moon Rising in which the band used prepared guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girls Against Boys</span> American post-hardcore band

Girls Against Boys is a post-hardcore band which formed in Washington, D.C., and subsequently relocated to New York City shortly after their formation in 1989. The band released albums on the labels Adult Swim, Touch and Go Records, Geffen Records, and Jade Tree from 1990 to 2002. The band then sporadically played shows from 2003 until 2009 when they became inactive as a whole. In 2013, Girls Against Boys briefly toured and self-released their first new material in 11 years. After another hiatus in 2017, they reunited for a longer term in 2021.

<i>Perverted by Language</i> 1983 studio album by The Fall

Perverted by Language is the sixth studio album by English post-punk group The Fall, released in December 1983 on Rough Trade Records.

<i>Blue Bell Knoll</i> 1988 studio album by Cocteau Twins

Blue Bell Knoll is the fifth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 19 September 1988 by 4AD. This was the band's first album to receive major-label distribution in the United States, as it was originally licensed by Capitol Records from 4AD for North American release. After a period of being out of print while 4AD reclaimed the American distribution rights for their back catalogue, the album was remastered by guitarist Robin Guthrie and reissued in 2003. Vocalist Elizabeth Fraser named the album after a peak in southern Utah called Bluebell Knoll.

<i>Thirteen</i> (Teenage Fanclub album) 1993 studio album by Teenage Fanclub

Thirteen is the fourth album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released in 1993 on Creation Records in the UK and Geffen in the US. It was commonly believed at the time that it was named after the song "Thirteen" by Big Star, a band that has heavily influenced Teenage Fanclub. The self-produced album was poorly received by critics on its release. It peaked at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Psycho</i> (soundtrack) 1998 soundtrack album by Various Artists

Psycho: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture is the soundtrack album to the 1998 remake of Psycho. The record was released on December 1, 1998 by Geffen Records.

<i>House of GVSB</i> 1996 studio album by Girls Against Boys

House of GVSB is the fourth studio album by American post-hardcore band Girls Against Boys, released in 1996 by Touch and Go Records.

<i>Goo</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Sonic Youth

Goo is the sixth full-length studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 26, 1990, by DGC Records. For this album, the band sought to expand upon its trademark alternating guitar arrangements and the layered sound of their previous album Daydream Nation (1988) with songwriting that was more topical than past works, exploring themes of female empowerment and pop culture. Coming off the success of Daydream Nation, Nick Sansano returned to engineer Goo, but veteran producer Ron Saint Germain was chosen by Sonic Youth to finish mixing the album following Sansano's dismissal.

American post-hardcore band Girls Against Boys has released six full-length studio albums, two studio EPs, and numerous singles.

"Park Avenue" is a song by post-hardcore band Girls Against Boys, released in 1998. It was the lead single from their album Freak*on*ica and is their only single to chart in the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 "Freak*on*ica · Music Review Girls Against Boys: Freak*on*ica · Music Review · The A.V. Club". The A.V. Club . March 29, 2002. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  2. ↑ Cruz, Anne Marie (June 1998). "Best New Music". CMJ New Music Monthly . No. 58. CMJ Network, Inc. p. 12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stout, Brian (September 13, 2023). "Girls Against Boys on Their Criticized '90s Album 'Freak*on*Ica'". PopMatters . Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Diehl, Matt (June 1998). ""Freak Out" Nothing Less Than an Aural Assault from Girls Against Boys". Entertainment Weekly . p. 84. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 DiCrescenzo, Brett. "Girls Against Boys: Freak*On*Ica: Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on June 29, 2001. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  6. ↑ Bambarger, Bradley (May 2, 1998). "Girls Against Boys Put On 'Freak' Show With Their Geffen Debut". Billboard . Vol. 110, no. 18. pp. 16, 19.
  7. ↑ Anon. (December 12, 1998). "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . UBM plc. p. 24. Retrieved January 5, 2024– via worldradiohistory.com.
  8. 1 2 Strong, Martin C. (2003). "Girls Against Boys". The Great Indie Discography. Canongate. pp. 764–765. ISBN   978-1-84195-335-9 – via Internet Archive.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  9. ↑ Billboard Staff (January 16, 2002). "Girls Against Boys Signs With Jade Tree". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  10. ↑ Jenkins, Mark. "Girls Against Boys reunites, will perform at Black Cat anniversary show". No. September 12, 2013. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 Raggett, Ned. "Freak*On*Ica – Girls Against Boys | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 Mulvey, John (May 16, 1998). "NME.COM - GIRLS AGAINST BOYS - Freak*On*Ica". NME . Archived from the original on October 2, 2000. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Lewis, Angela (May 15, 1998). "Pop & Jazz: Album Reviews". The Independent . Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  14. ↑ Scribner, Sara (May 31, 1998). "Pop Music: Record Rack: *** 1/2 Girls Against Boys "Freak*on*ica" Geffen". Los Angeles Times . p. 65. ProQuest   421398345.
  15. ↑ Myers, Ben (May 16, 1998). "Girls Against Boys: Freak*On*Ica". Melody Maker . Vol. 75, no. 20. IPC. p. 37.
  16. ↑ Ali, Lorraine (May 18, 1998). "Girls Against Boys: Freak On Ica : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  17. ↑ Upton, Sam (July 1998). "Girls Against Boys: Freak*on*ica". Select . EMAP. p. 79.
  18. ↑ Lim, Dennis (June 1998). "Reviews". Spin . Vol. 14, no. 6. SPIN Media, LLC. pp. 134–135.
  19. 1 2 Gulla, Bob. "Wall of Sound Review: Freak*on*ica". Wall of Sound . Archived from the original on April 15, 2001. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  20. ↑ Rees, Paul (May 16, 1998). "Albums". Kerrang! . No. 699. EMAP. p. 46.
  21. ↑ Blackburn, Jimmy (June 1998). "Girls Against Boys Freak*on*ica (Geffen)". Vox . No. 92. IPC. p. 90.
  22. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Artist 521". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  23. 1 2 Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). "Girls Against Boys". Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3 (4th ed.). MUZE. p.  764. ISBN   978-0-19-531373-4.
  24. ↑ Ives, Brian (1999). "Girls Against Boys". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p.  485. ISBN   1-57859-061-2 – via Internet Archive.
  25. 1 2 Berger, Arion (November 2004). "Girls Against Boys". In Brackett, Nathan (ed.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide . Simon and Schuster. p.  332. ISBN   9780743201698.
  26. ↑ Adickes, Kevin (August 7, 2002). "Girls Against Boys You Can't Fight What You Can't See". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  27. ↑ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: Gina G - GZA". Zobbel.de. Tobias Zywietz. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Billboard's Heatseekers Album Chart". Billboard . Vol. 110, no. 25. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. June 20, 1998. p. 19.
  29. ↑ "Girls Against Boys Chart". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Girls Against Boys - Chart history". Billboard . Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  31. ↑ Anon. (May 15, 1998). "Girls Against Boys: Keeping It Disco". The Pink Paper : 15.
  32. ↑ MTV News Staff (March 27, 1998). "Girls Against Boys Ready To Unleash "Freak*on*ica"". MTV News . Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2023.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.