Girl On Top: Rhythm Method

After some home-network retooling necessitated a longer-than-expected hiatus, FFB is back; and I can finally tell you about a band I've been dying to plug here.

Boston-based Girl On Top is an Indie-Rock band fronted by the prodigiously talented Karen DeBiasse (more about her in a moment). Their latest CD, Cherry Blossoms/Sakura is out now, and FEMALE FRONT is also playing two tracks from a yet-to-be-released album.

One of the more notable aspects of the music of Girl On Top is how eclectic it is. When I first popped-in the new CD, I figured I was in for a solid, Alternative Rock-style album, since that was the sound of the first couple of tracks. But then the next track was more like a late 70's rocker, and the next one was a Pop-Punk quickie, and so on. G.O.T. influences seem to range from classic artists like Joan Jett, Heart and Pat Benatar, to contemporaries like Auf der Maur -- but any such references are subtle, and the music never lets itself get pinned-down to any one type of sound.

Indeed, the songwriting is probably the most impressive part of Girl On Top. This is thanks largely to the imagination and intellect of Karen DeBiasse, a woman who has more musical education than probably the entire roster of Sony BMG Records. Of course, formal musical training is never a guarantee of quality music, but it may provide a clue as to how Ms DeBiasse can make it look so easy. So many of the songs in the Girl On Top catalog just work, while never losing their indie-cred. In fact (here comes my obligatory one criticism), the Indie sound can sometimes be a hindrance; I would love to see what Girl On Top could do with a big recording budget and unlimited studio time. I am convinced that they would not let it go to their heads.

Still, songwriting always trumps production. Some of the songs that are worthy of individual praise here include: "Army Nation", one of the boldest, most searing political protest songs I've heard in a very long time, set to a steady, almost incongruous Reggae-like groove. Thematically, it's reminiscent of Kate Bush's "Army Dreamers", but whereas that song was a twisted little lullaby, this one gets right in your face with its anti-war, anti-political message. It goes far beyond the typical war-is-bad platitudes that most artists feel comfortable delivering, and climbs way out on an ideological limb. And I so admire Karen DeBiasse for doing it. The song appears on the unreleased album, so hopefully that will be available for sale soon.

G.O.T. also gets political with two other songs on that album: "Always", which has catchy, radio-ready harmonies, and "Livin' a Lie", which is in rotation now on FEMALE FRONT.

I also dig "Atomic World", a six-and-a-half minute psychedelic masterpiece on the Cherry Blossoms/Sakura album. I almost never put songs that long on the playlist, but I had no choice with this one. I'd also like to recognize the excellent work of Jack Rootoo, the lead guitarist on the Cherry Blossoms sessions, and David Simmons, lead guitarist on the new material including "Livin' a Lie".

Also added to the playlist was the co-title track, "Sakura" -- a Japanese-language version of the song "Cherry Blossoms" on the same album. Karen DeBiasse does not speak Japanese, so she had a student translate the lyrics, and then memorized them for recording. I don't speak Japanese either, but I do occasionally play Japanese artists on the station, and this song reminds me of one of those cute J-Pop ditties. Besides, anyone who does that much work for one song deserves to be played.

Karen DeBiasse is someone who has worked so hard at her craft for so long, that it bugs me to see that Girl On Top is known mostly as a local act. This is an artist and a group that deserve more attention, and from forces more powerful than this little radio station and blog. Check out the song samples from Girl On Top, and purchase the CD's if you like what you hear!