Phranc: imagine a mix of Michelle Shocked and the Beach Boys with a touch of George Formby and sixties folk and seventies punk, and you might just get the idea. She's also very vocal about her sexuality: "I'm not trying to be a man / I'm just being who I am / And that's a very very very butch lesbian..." ("Do the bulldagger swagger")
This EP-CD from Phranc contains a nice variety of tunes, five in all: "Surferdyke Pal", a very South-Californian surfing song: a cover version, complete with banjo, of Herman's Hermits' "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter", with the twist of being sung by another woman and not a by a male suitor: the afore-mentioned "Bulldagger Swagger": a classy cover of "Ode To Billy Joe", and the title track "Goofyfoot".
I hadn't heard - or heard of - Phranc before reviewing this CD, and I basically enjoyed it as a light entertainment. While Phranc's interviews, lyrics and reviews all emphasise the Jewish-American-Lesbian-Punk-Folksinger image, (one gets the impression that Phranc enjoys confounding people with her appearance and lifestyle) I didn't find any forceful message in the music. My first impressions were of sing-along, light, folky-pop. Almost "bubblegum" pop. Fun music!
Phranc shows a (very) similar style to Michelle Shocked, and genuine sense of humour. Her music and lyrics are not as intense as Ms. Shocked's, (I found them rather lightweight in comparison), but entertaining all the same. Worth a listen...
