4/17/2011

REAL KIDS/TAXI BOYS - Girls! Girls! Girls!

REAL KIDS/TAXI BOYS Girls! Girls! Girls! lp 1983
Real Kids side: She / Now You Know / Up Is Up / She Comes Alive / Who Needs Ya // Taxi Boys side: Whats it to You / Bad to worse / What she don't know / Everybody's Girl / Happens all the time / She.
The Real Kids: J. Felice: guitar, lead vocals / Billy Borgioli: guitar / Alan "Alpo" Paulino: bass / Howard Ferguson: drums.
The Taxi Boys: John Felice: lead guitar, vocals / Billy Cole: bass, vocals, guitar, bells / Scott Parmentar: rhythm guitar / Bobby McNabb: drums.
The Real Kids were one of Boston's earliest new wave bands; their debut album is full of dynamite tracks that take the trashier aspect of the Rolling Stones and couple it with the high-power guitar approach of the Ramones. Frontman (and onetime Modern Lover) John Felice not only provides tough guitar and distinctive lead vocals, he has a knack for writing clear, infectious melodies. Spin "All Kindsa Girls," "She's Alright" or "My Baby's Book" for proof.
Poor sales of the Real Kids' first LP led Felice to become a Ramones roadie, but he subsequently returned to Boston and formed the Taxi Boys, whose two EPs carry on the Real Kids tradition with high-energy '60s garage-band rock. The production of the records might be crude, but Felice is in fine form on both. (The Bomp! release is a 12-inch, the earlier one a 7-inch pressed on pink vinyl.)
Reactivating the Real Kids with a new and improved lineup, Felice then made the dandy Outta Place. Harder yet still pop-oriented, with stellar production by Andy Paley, the record is strengthened by consistently good material and plenty of rock'n'roll spirit. After releasing the album in France, New Rose kept the Real Kids' recording career going, issuing another sharp studio LP, Hit You Hard, and the live-in-Paris All Kindsa Jerks Live, which recaps Felice's song catalogue onstage with fiery enthusiasm. The Lolita release is a Real Kids/Taxi Boys compilation.

Ex-Real Kids Alpo Paulino (bass) and Billy Borgioli (guitar) lead the Primitive Souls, whose 12-inch — two originals by each — follows the righteous path of bar-band pop'n'roll with tuneful flair and serious skill. (For the record, Paulino has the better singing voice and slightly catchier songs.)
After five years of national invisibility, Felice returned, unrepentant and embittered, with a rocking new trio and the Nothing Pretty album. Although his casual writing and punchy guitar playing is in fine shape, uncertain singing undercuts the songs' impact; Felice's attitude is, like his voice, a little worse for wear. The title track rues the loss of innocence; "I'll Never Sing That Song Again" describes a view of life as a musician that is both cynical and poignant; "Nowadaze Kids" tells the other side of the story, castigating modern audiences for lacking the rock'n'roll spirit that inspires him. Fans who fear that he's becoming too disgusted to carry on should take note of the LP's final cut, "Can't Play It Safe." TrouserPress.com

11 commentaires:

MIDNIGHT RAMBLER a dit…

REAL KIDS/TAXI BOYS: "Girls! Girls! Girls!"

Boston rock rules !

jeffen a dit…

Love the Real Kids and The Taxi Boys. Felice is an under-appreciatedredu treasure.

R. Claude a dit…

John Felice & Friends were (are) my favorite pop-punk band. They played in Geneva (CH) in '84. It was a great gig. In France, they are a cult group.

R. Claude a dit…

C'est un copain qui m'a fait découvrir à la fin des 70's le premier 33t de nos amis les Real Kids alors signés sur le label de Marty Thau, le même producteur à flair qui avait sous contrat Alan Vega et Martin Rev (et Brian Setzer avec ses Bloodless Pharaohs). Ils sont rares les albums où rien n'est à jeter. C'est le cas de cette pépite pop-rock-punk. Quelques années passèrent puis un soir Felice et ses complices passèrent par Genève pour un gig d'anthologie qui nous mit la larme à l'œil car on a senti qu'ils seraient les éternels oubliés de l'histoire du rock'n'roll. Mévente d'albums, dope, dépression,... On connaît trop le cercle vicieux pour y revenir.

Anonyme a dit…

sunny days on cahors !!!
1000 thx for MrMR

yellow66

Zvone a dit…

This is great! Love The Real Kids! Their debut is one of my all-time favorites. I'm still waiting for Willie Alexander Loco Live. Could You rip it as mp3 or something instead of flac?

Anonyme a dit…

Thank you, Midnight Rambler!

John Felice and the Real Kids are pure genius.

For my money, the Real Kids were the greatest act at the Las Vegas Shakedown in 2000. They nearly brought tears to my eyes with the all the awesome-ness.


Hey, Rambler, do you or anyone else out there have a PDF file of the two-part Real Kids interview from Ugly Things magazine?

I lost my paper copies in a flooded basement many years ago!

Anonyme a dit…

I don't want to be ungrateful, but does anyone have this in regular 320 kbps mp3?

I know that FLAC is higher quality, but I can't use it on my mp3 player.

Thanks if anyone can help!

MIDNIGHT RAMBLER a dit…

@ anonyme 1:
Sorry I don't have the Real Kids interview from Ugly Things magazine...
I will ask around me...if someone can help?
@ anonyme 2:
It's very easy to convert flac files in 320 kbps mp3, check it here:
http://www.avs4you.com/AVS-Audio-Converter.aspx
It's free!

Ricard BCN a dit…

Long live John Felice!

Anonyme a dit…

Thanks for pointing me toward that audio converter!

Also, even if you can't post it, you should really track down those two Ugly Things issues with the Real Kids interviews, because they are amazing! You'll definitely enjoy it. They talk about touring France while on New Rose and crazy shit.