For the MTV-savvy, consider Ultimate Fakebook “buzzworthy” — one of a number of bands that deserves a spot on TRL alongside the likes of Sum-41 and Blink-182, even though the band doesn’t have a number in its name. The group writes catchy, melodic pop-punk tunes that anyone can embrace, especially those who use the word “rad” when describing their favorite MxPx or Alkaline Trio record.
Ultimate Fakebook kicks off its mini tour Feb. 13 and stops in Madison Saturday at the illustrious Club 770 in Union South.
According to UFB’s vocalist Bill McShale, the band is “definitely ready to get back out there” after an absence from the public eye left the band with some much needed R&R and — how ’bout that — the album Open Up And Say Awesome, released March 19.
“We’re really happy with how it came out, it’s a real focused rock record. It’s a little bit more of a consistent album than our last one,” McShale says.
Along with a number of other blooming pop-punk bands, Ultimate Fakebook hails from the great state of Kansas, a state one wouldn’t normally expect to be a Mecca of fat guitar hooks and head bobbing.
According to McShale, “There’s some really big bands (The Get Up Kids, The Anniversary, Appleseed Cast), you know, and we’re all sort of like friends. And it’s weird ’cause it doesn’t necessarily feel like there’s a scene, just because all the bands are always on tour and stuff. They don’t play around there necessarily as much as out on the road.”
And with the likes of Sum-41 airing incessantly on M2, one can only hope for the best for a punk band on the way up. “It’s awesome because a lot of the bands that are starting to get a lot of notice or airplay on like M2 are bands we’ve toured with,” says McShale.
McShale even shared his thoughts on the success of genre-mates Sum-41 and what it means for UFB.
“I think they’re really good at what they do. I mean, I think their stuff sounds awesome. They’ve got some really good, catchy songs. It’s not something that I would maybe go after, but that’s just because of my personal music tastes. I’m glad to see a band like that doing well, you know,” he says.
McShale continues, “I know there’s a lot of bands that are better kind of at the same thing that they’re doing ? and that’s one thing that’s cool about Blink-182, that once they really made it and got big, they took the opportunity to take smaller bands on tour, kind of point people in the direction of other bands that are kind of doing the same thing.
“It helps us more than someone like Matchbox 20, or those kind of bands. When they make it big, it’s not really going to help someone like us. But someone like Sum-41, or those kind of punk, do-it-yourself sort of bands is definitely good for us.”
And it seems like the hype for another band receiving MTV airplay, The Strokes, has even permeated into McShale’s sensibility.
“I’ve been listening to The Strokes record — I dig it a lot. I was skeptical when I heard so much hype about it, but then when I finally heard the record I loved it, and so I’m totally down with them.”
This is, of course, due to the strength of the group’s songs, a trait in popular bands that has been lacking of late, much to the chagrin of UFB, whose songs are strong enough to turn you on your head.
According to McShale, “I’m just into really good songs. That’s kind of my thing I guess.”
Expect another memorable album full of great songs from Ultimate Fakebook in Open Up And Say Awesome, which even includes a solo from Descendents guitarist Stephan Egerton, whom UFB recently won the heart of. And if this “ultimate” band can turn its album into one of the masters of punk’s favorite albums, the band can make it one of yours too.
