A rock operetta inspired by 1979's brilliant teen rebellion cult film, "Over the Edge" (the "Rebel Without a Cause" for the '70's with Matt Dillon). The band on this CD is Portland's twisted, Zappa-esque art-punk sextet w/ 4 devastating singers & organ.

10 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Psychedelic, ROCK: Punk



Details:
The War was over...The only survivors were street animals: dogs, cats and rats. From these creatures, a new species of mutants evolved: Drats!!!

Portland, Oregon's arty rebel band, Drats!!!, is a new species indeed. Fronted by four devastating singers--Maddog, Yoon, Chad Deitchley, and the notorious Chairman--Drats!!! has caught the attention and imagination of many through their outrageous yet compelling anthems, abnormal imagery, and explosive stage performances. This eccentric sextet blends catchy pop songwriting, frenetic art-punk energy, and an imaginative, wicked sense of humor. Balancing demented story lyrics and urgent group vocals against driving percussion and unexpected rock hooks, Drats!!! music is a chaotic Circus of the Stars hosted by Jamie Farr on a maniacal speed binge! After all, the band is named after the original title for the post-apocalyptic Rock & Rule, a 1983 animated motion picture featuring music from Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and Blondie.

The new Drats!!! CD is entitled "Welcome to New Granada." This CD is a collection of songs (a rock operetta) based on 1979's sensational cult film of teenage rebellion, "Over the Edge" (Matt Dillon's first film). The movie focuses on a group of disaffected youth in an oppressively boring planned community. The feature was misunderstood and shelved quickly after its initial release (due to fears that the film was too violent). Since then, "Over the Edge" has slowly gained a rabid following of fans who relish in its over-sensationalized depiction of '70's youth culture. The songs on the CD attempt to capture the rebellious spirit of "Over the Edge" and the colorful characters that populate its stark and tumultuous world.


**REVIEW OF "WELCOME TO NEW GRANADA" FROM THE WILLAMETTE WEEK:**

"Both the Mars Volta and Agalloch claim to be more influenced by film than by music. I never really understood how that works, but moments on the new album from Drats!!!, Welcome to New Granadaâa rock operetta based (not only in content, but in form) on the film Over the Edgeâhelp me make sense of such cinematic inspiration.

The penultimate track, 'The March (Trash the Place),' for instance, depicts the climax of Matt Dillon's 1979 debut, during which a pack of about 40 kids lock their parents in a PTA meeting of sorts and then destroy their cars and most of the schoolâa plot fittingly captured by the song's anthemic, driving, Ramones-style punk. In the film, shots of destruction are cut with the parents panicking and screaming at each other to 'remain calm.' Drats!!! borrows this cinemagraphic strategy, switching to a funky, keyboard-led section a couple of times, which makes each return to the yelled refrain 'Trash the place!' all the more intoxicating.

'Johnny the Mute' seems like a simple character sketch at first, until the final chorusâfeaturing a cowbell struck once, then twice accompanied by the line 'one click for yes/ Two clicks for no'âsuddenly recalls the speechless boy delivering tragic news by tapping over the phone. The scene is made more poignant on the record because it sneaks up on you...

...New Granada (named after the planned community where the movie is set) is extremely polished and constructed to demand repeated listensâfrom both fans of Over the Edge and those who have never seen it (I heard the record first and liked it immediately). Even the occasional cliché classic-rock riff, like the one before the title phrase on 'Resale Property Values,' functions like the film's drab architecture, creating a tone of bleakness that anchors the work. Plus, like everything else on this record, those moments never last too long: All but two of the songs are under three minutes, and their frequent dynamic changes are packed with brilliant and fleeting momentsâlike the Bowie-esque opening to 'Ballad of Richie White,' which, for me, is not unlike the kind of glimmering favorite line that'll make you watch a movie over and over."

âJASON SIMMS (WILLAMETTE WEEK)