Faux Jean are a
power pop band from
Minneapolis,
Minnesota, part of that city's power pop
revival.
Their
debut,
Kiss Life on the Lips, is a glorious mish-mash of glistening glucose grooves, with heavy '60s
AM radio influences.
Founded by
Matty Schindler (whose
psuedonym is "Faux Jean"-
more on that later) in the late '90s, Faux Jean falls somewhere between
Sloan and
Tuscadero, for those
indie rockers
scoring at home. The band leans heavily on
telecaster rhythm guitar and
Hammond Organ, with well-placed male/female harmonies.
Featured in the magazine
Pop Culture Press,
Faux Jean toured extensively, earning a fan base in cities across the
Midwest and
East Coast with tight, choreographed sets in
matching denim.
For some reason, every member has taken a Jean-themed psuedonym, something stupid enough to sink any band that didn't have such immediately catchy songs.
The members are:
Matty Schindler (Faux Jean), guitar and vox;
Nicole Kalodrich (Jean Angel), vox and percussion;
Matt Millet (Faux Wayne), bass;
Dax Eckel (Faux D'ax), keys;
Gene Wire (no real name listed), guitars;
Shawn Grider (Grinder), drums.
Their debut LP, Kiss Life on the Lips, has been reissued with more songs, but most of them are inessential. The track listing for their debut is:
1. Hey!
2. Kiss Life on the Lips (K's Trip)
3. Nature
4. Flight of the Bumblebee
5. Tuesday Scene
6. Chartreuse Skirt
7. G-a-go-go
8. Mrs. Jean
9. The last of the Last of the Super-Secret Stash
The strongest tracks on the album are: "Hey!" a rollicking blast of relationship pop; "Chartreuse Skirt," a smirking garage-rock burner; and the title track. The only weak song is "Nature," which relies too much on crappy astrology lyrics. All songs were written by Schindler.
This album will be a lost
nugget 20 years in the future, so track it down now while it's still relatively easy.
(And for reference, I have nothing to do with this band besides enjoying their music).