The Frustrators
Created | Updated Sep 5, 2003
Who?
If you aren`t one of the elite who are already well aquinted with The Frustrators here are the basic facts. The band is basically four guys and one rubber chicken. And there you have a very important clue to one of the driving forces behind this Californian pop/punk band. Their sense of humour.
The full line up is this - Jason Chandler on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Terry Linehan on backing vocals and lead guitar, Mike Dirnt on backing vocals and bass, and Art Tedeschi on drums. And the chicken?? Stanley (ALL HAIL comes the cries from the fans) is credited as being the bands hairdresser and spiritual advisor. According to recent information, the bands manager Jimmy Zeus is a monkey, but this has yet to be authenticated.
WHERE?
Jason, Art and Terry originally come from the east coast of America, but along with mike now live in the Berkely/San Fransico area of California. They have all played in various bands before (and still do for that matter), with Art and Terry having the band Waterdog listed on their CV`s, and Art and Jason previously playing in the amazing named "Violent Anal Death" Mike, while not playing with The Frustrators, has a little known side project called Green Day The band is currently signed to Adeline RecordsAdeline Records, which is owned by Adreinne and Billie Joe Armstrong. Billie Joe is also the front man for Green Day. The Adeline label also boasts the likes of Dillinger Four, The Thumbs, One Man Army, and Pinhead Gunpowder (another of Billie Joes side projects)
WHEN?
The Frustrators was orginally just Art, Terry and Mike jamming in their spare time. In 1999 they finally decided it was tim to find themselves a suitable front man. Art having previously worked with jason approached him and invited him out on an afternoon of karaoke and so the band was completed. They worked together from then on, as often as they could until they reached a point that they felt they had sufficient material to record their first EP.
BORED?
"Bored in the USA" not only parodies the title of the most famous album by the "Boss" himself, it also includes Jasons version of the album cover which he designed using his rent paying talents as a graphic designer and cartoonist.
The first track on "Bored" is the classic song "I slept with Terry." With additional vocals provide by the Frustrettes, the song charts one of Terrys disastrous dates where on asking his date the next morning if he was good in bed gets the reply "you passed out, you woke up, you puked on my cat" Mean while Jason is heard to bemoan that all he got from sleeping with Terry was a commemorative calender. The bands humour is evident through out the EP, with songs such as "She walked away" offering up visions of Jason locked out of the house at midnight dressed just in his socks, to "West of Texas" an awsome song full of acute paranoia and a one eyed dog. "Great Australian Midget Toss" is one song that some people have taken the wrong way, it was nevr intended to offend anybody. Apart from singing about girls, cars (Brown Mercury Comet) and rotting food (You`re only human) the band has included their first cover version. All too often when bands decided to go down this route, they leave the listener with a serious urge to throttle the offending band. The Frustrators manage to avoid this with their version of Blondies "Living in the real world"
ALBUM!
"Achtung Jackass" is the bands first proper album. It contains one of the fans favourite songs "Pirate Song" which came from what will no doubt end up as one of Terrys world famous one liners "have you seen the look in a pirates eys when he hears the cry LAST CALL" and can only be described as a crowd pleasing vocal workout. "Frustrators jingle" is a song that could be said to sum up the bands attitude to the fact that very few people have heard of them, with the opening verse of "I`m just as stupid as I want to be, but I dont care coz you dont know me and thats okay coz I`m frustrated any way." "Jackass" also includes the bands second cover version, an amazing rendition of The Cars "My best Friends Girl" The final offering from the band on this outing into the big scary world of public entertainment is simply titled "Bonus Track" For reasons best known to the band it has been recorded backwards, including some mysterious comments from what turns out to be Jason and Mike. For those who want to hear the version that plays the right way round, you will have to get your hands on a copy of the Adeline compliation "Might as well ... cant dance"
WHY?
Because each member of the band has commitments else where, The Frustrators unfortunately are never likely to be a band that you see playing in your local pub. So why do it then? Why bother having yet another band to playin? Because these guys LIKE playing in bands! They all have a passion for music, as well as eyeing the girls up, drving clapped out old cars, drinking beer and basically.....having a great time while doing it. and if there was any justice in the world, they might even get to pay some of the rent with the proceeds.
And why not?
