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A review by Jason Miller
Back in 2000, when the rock band Fastball released their musically prolific but commercially unsuccessful album, “The Harsh Light of Day”? many fans of the two hit wonders were unsure if they would hear from the boys from Austin, Texas ever again. The music scene was too cluttered with Britney Spears and Limp Bizkit for anyone to care about a band that took their cues from the Beatles instead of the current flavor of the month. FM Radio has passed Fastball by, but the summer of 2004 saw the trio finally release a new album on the small independent label, Rykodisc. “Keep Your Wig On”? slipped under most people’s radars, and was no small feat to accomplish for a band that almost broke up. But not only did Fastball release an album, they released a great album. If you are a fan of Beatles-esque harmonies and 60’s sounding pop this album is for you. If you are a fan of a band that isn’t afraid to try its hand at alt-country or Latin flavored music, and still manages to make it sound like a guitar driven and cohesive album, “Keep Your Wig On”? is for you. Or if you liked Fastball’s Top 40 Hit “The Way”? and wondered what ever happened to such a great band, this album is for you. The great part about “Keep Your Wig On”? is that you can play it for a group of friends and each one will like it for different reasons. When someone listens to the whole album from start to finish, s/he will find that it flows well for a band that is comprised of two different singer/songwriters who have their own unique influences. I highly encourage everyone to check out this great LP, because it is such a shame for an album of this caliber to get so little attention. If you’re poor and don’t have the cash for “Keep Your Wig On”?, I usually play a track or two from the album on my show, Saturday Nights at Midnight on 88.7 WJCU.
Jason Miller
“It’s Miller Time”
Saturday Nights at Midnight on 88.7 WJCU
