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1. Perpetuate The Continuance
2. Mike In The Middle
3. Love
(mp3~3.3mb)
4. Cars On Film
5. Bewfre The Dog
6. VirginiaDare
(mp3~2.9mb)
7. Waterer Down
8. All About Girls
9. Poor Sherilee
10. Anywhere
11. Thief On Bicycle
12. Safe At Home
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Other
Releases:
As the Hentchmen:
Ultrahentch (1995)
Campus Party (1995)
Broad Appeal (1997)
Motorvatin’ (1998)
Hentchforth (1998)
Three Times Infinity (2002)
...and countless singles
Mike and John with
The
Paybacks:
Knock Loud LP, Get Hip Records |
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MEMBERS/
MUSICIANS:
Mike Latulippe Drums
Tim Purrier Guitar
John Szymanski Farfisa
HOMETOWN:
Detroit
FORMATION DATE:
1992
WEBSITE:
www.hentchmen.com |
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As you step onto the front porch of the "Hentch House" in Hamtramck, Michigan, notice the quaint wooden sign announcing "The Szymanskis": this is the family home of John, the Hentchmen's organ grinder. Ladies and gentlemen, enter the Hentchmen. Inside, the walls are plastered with pop culture paraphernalia such as authentic 60's movie posters, pirate flags, and even an autographed picture of Richard Kiel. You quickly confirm that there is nothing pretentious about this house or the musicians who spend their time here; the Hentchmen are the real thing, originals, and they will rock your ass off.
This fall, the Hentchmen will release their album,
Form Follows Function on Times Beach Records.
The album was recorded at Rustbelt Studios in
Royal Oak, Michigan, and produced by Al Sutton,
who engineered tracks from 2003's Three Times
Infinity, the Hencthmen's critically acclaimed
release. Form Follows Function is the
Hentchmen's first album on Times Beach; with the
exception of one mini-LP on Italy Records, their
previous albums came out on the highly-regarded
Norton Records.
The Hentchmen began playing together a dozen years ago, when they met in high school. The original lineup was Tim Purrier, John Szymanski, and Chris Handyside. When Handyside moved to Chicago, the band called on longtime friend Mike Latulippe. At this point in their story, one can easily label the Hentchmen an anomaly: beyond the one drummer exchange, there is NO "rotating cast of members" in the Hentchmen's bio! Despite (or because of?) years of traveling the globe in a station wagon (yes, they even drove a wagon in Europe), they remain close friends.
The rapport among the three Hentches is evident in their live show. Tim jumps around, strumming aggressively, looking like a bleach-bottle Buddy Holly. He shares vocal duties with John, who plays the Farfisa with aplomb. Mike "in the center" beats the skins with the enthusiasm of a two-year-old who has just discovered the peal a spoon makes on a saucepan. Standing still at a Hentchmen show is impossible.
Not tapping your foot while listening to the new
album is equally as hopeless. The energy from
the Hentchmen's live shows is accurately and wholly
captured on Form Follows Function. Their
first single, "Love," is a fun tale of puppy love
growing up ("It was love to the Nth degree/ It
was love most definitely"); in the accompanying
video the Hentchmen take their act underwater,
complete with vintage tuxes and bouqets of flowers.
On "Mike in the Middle," John introduces the band
members, and with the lo-fi jangly sound, you
can almost imagine ? and the Mysterians doing
a Beatles-esque "Sorry girls, he's taken!" kind
of TV scene. The hip-shaking, head-bobbing sounds
of "Perpetuate" are undeniable, from the opening
bars to the driving drum rolls to the especially
delicious high-pitched keyboard riff.
Everything on this album is catchy as hell: the
lyrics, the addictive guitar patterns, the tasty
beats, the dance-y strains of the Farfisa. The
Hentchmen have reached a new high mark with Form
Follows Function, and they will soon bring
their act to a town near you. Whether seeing them
on stage or just listening in your car, you can't
help but shake your body to the Hentchmen's music.....so
put on your Hush Puppies, grab your Parliaments...
and prepare to be rocked.
"This long-running Detroit trio tosses off raucous, unpretentious hip-shakers that hit the G-spot other garage bands missed."
—Entertainment Weekly
Their music is just first rate party rock... Eventually, garage rock will fall out of fashion, but the Hentchmen will always be in style."
—Time Out, NY |
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