#michael frazier

We’ve been trying to do music “for real” for more than a decade. Through all of the many bands and the hundreds of pleading emails begging for shows, one of few who supported us regardless of hype was Tim Avery. Over the years there have been many talks over beer or Irish whiskey about writing and music, and during one of those conversations Tim told Jo Jo and I that he was extremely proud of the lyrics he wrote for The Kitchen Sinks that became the song “I Won’t Walk Your Dead Avenues.”

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Over eight months ago, Michael Frazier and I stood talking and watching a mutual friend play his first show with his new band.  There, he told me that he was writing music similar to the Clash, which is a departure from the band he had been playing with for over half of a decade.  The result, an EP named Virginia Son, exceeded all of my expectations. 

With help from friends that he met throughout his many tours with Random Holiday, he recorded the EP, which features five songs that are cohesive yet diverse.  It shows growth, shedding the pop punk sound that is often associated with his name, and trading it for more mature musicianship.  Instead of covering Fat Lip or Dammit, Mike Frazier sounds as if he would be right at home covering “Keepsake” by Gaslight Anthem or “When You Know” by Hostage Calm.

Tracks “Bones” and “Sunflower Soul” are what I would imagine a punk band fronted by the legendary Bob Dylan would sound: personal, honest, a little folky, and absolutely captivating, while still bombastic enough to keep fans jumping up and down. 

Speaking of bombastic: “Keep US Free” (US capitalized in a well-placed display of satire) explosively introduces us to what Mike thinks about war.  He sings “It’s not about right/About wrong/It’s about you/Beat them down/Show them how they’re meant to feel,” as he calls out the American attitude that war is the answer to everything, and that we are always right.  It’s well-crafted, purposeful prose packs as much of a punch as its Green Day-esque chorus.

This leads me to the best track on the album: “War On Love” is an upbeat, anti-war number with Frazier declaring “I won’t die for you” as he wages his own war on the American ideal one last time.  As the closing track, it is the song that most blatantly demonstrates his growth lyrically.  It captures exactly what punk was meant to be about: making change.  It’s catchy, it’s punky, it’s fluid, and it’s purpose is crystal clear.

As a whole, Virginia Son is an excellent EP.  The title track is excellently chosen, tying the album together.  It displays the personal touch that Mike shows in many of his songs, along with the new political savviness that he’s really had all along, but is just now bringing into the fold.  While these songs are not the pit-worthy pop punk jams that he is well known for, Mike Frazier has crafted something that hits a little deeper, with well thought-out ideas and concepts that are more complete than ever before.  As far as new beginnings go, I think that this is a far better start than many could ever hope for.