Beck – Downtown Magazine

Hank Fontaine is ready for revolution.

On New Year’s Day, the Los Angeles musician trumpeted a public call for creative reformation:

You’re a creator? Awesome. Create. This idea that you’re supposed to be a living, breathing “brand” is gross and someday it’s gonna look really dated. Whether you paint, write, sing, or complain, own that it’s an extension of your soul, not “content” that you excrete on a daily basis like a robot. Can we please make 2020 the year that branding dies?

Hank Fontaine is a powder keg in an industry bursting with soul peddlers thirsty for fame and power. He refuses to be contained. He is content to stay honest to himself, his whims and his art. Conformity does not interest him in the least. Fontaine is a restless soul forever on the prowl for inspiration, both a citizen and student of the world. Ten years of touring as a guitarist; a lifetime of transience. For the time being, he’s existing in Los Angeles, eschewing that plastic Stepford Wife nonsense.

Living in the City of Angels has only deepened his determination to bring authenticity to his craft, encouraging others to follow suit. He walks the walk. After four years as half of sibling duo The Fontaines, touring with Dylan Gardner and Valley Queen, and resetting his path with a couple of singles, Fontaine released his first solo album in 2019: The Globalist Agenda or: Welcome To Frogtown. It is an eclectic tour de force.

Fontaine’s sound is impossible to pigeonhole, and he likes it that way. There are some echoes of retro influence, particularly in Fontaine’s guitar licks, but his lyrics are firmly rooted in the 21^st century experience. He effortlessly weaves elements of Harry Nilsson, early Billy Joel, Supertramp, and Electric Light Orchestra in his sound, through the filters of English music hall, New Wave, and breezy California surf rock. Although Fontaine is primarily known for his guitar chops, he is a powerful and emotive vocalist who croons, growls, whispers and fearlessly falsettos.

Hank Fontaine’s strength lies in his curious voyeurism and refusal to mould himself to a false concept. He takes that kid-in-a-candy-store approach to sound, reminiscent of Odelay-era Beck. His self-penned Spotify bio cheekily mocks the industry push to brand musicians, which he sees as a limiting force on creativity. Not a single song on this album sounds like any other, but all work together in a sonic crazy quilt as varied as the people who influenced them. The Globalist Agenda was inspired by people Fontaine met while living in the Frogtown neighborhood of Los Angeles.

“I like to pretend to be other people when I’m writing. I think that’s gonna get me in trouble someday,” he quips.

Fontaine’s love of Seinfeld shines through in his observational lyrics: always wryly wondering, “what’s up with that?” This is best exemplified in his debut single, Bad Love, which sounds like a powerful breakup ballad, but was in fact about a time he got cut off in a Trader Joe’s parking lot. “I asked, what happened to this person to make them like this?” Fontaine explains. The ethereal, forlorn Hope Don’t Leave Me Now was inspired by a compulsive lottery ticket gamber at his local 7/11.

The album was a collaboration with his friend and producer Jason DeMayo. The pair recorded all the instruments together, one at a time.

“It was a very freeing way to work that I never tried before,” says Fontaine.

Fontaine headlined the Troubadour in LA to celebrate the release of The Globalist Agenda, and then took off the rest of 2019 to focus on writing. He’s in NYC for a few months doing an artist residency, working on a new EP of songs he wrote in his hometown of Paris.

Keep your eyes and ears on this one in 2020. Hank Fontaine is just getting started.

You can purchase The Globalist Agenda Or: Welcome To Frogtown here:

https://hankfontaine.bandcamp.com/releases

You can stream it here (but consider buying it, he’s completely independent):

Can’t Give It Up Single

See More

Album of the Year: Civilian by Frank Tovey

Clan of Xymox Materializes At Le Poisson Rouge

Blake Charleton Keeps It Fresh

Christine Smith Waits On The Far Side Of A Star

Adrian Sexton Draws The Death Card

The Los Angeles-based band known as That Dog formed in 1991, inking a proper record deal with David Geffen’s DGC label within two years. That Dog went on to release three albums with DGC, touring alongside major acts like Blur, The Wallflowers, Weezer, Beck and the Counting Crows. The quartet of Rachel Haden, Anna Waronker, Tony Maxwell and Petra Haden disbanded in 1997, although none of the members of That Dog ever abandoned music; for example, that is Petra Haden’s violin work you hear on Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life).” A proper That Dog reunion happened in 2011, leading to more shows in 2012 and finally a new album slated for release later this year; at this time it appears that only Rachel, Anna, and Tony are onboard for the forthcoming studio effort.

Before the new music from That Dog hits stores, Hello Records is releasing the limited-edition Totally Crushed Outtakes 7″ today, Mar. 31. One of the four tracks, “Silently,” features Beck on banjo. To learn more about the Outtakes, Downtown spoke with Anna via e-mail. More on Anna can be found at www.annawaronker.com, while That Dog keeps up an official page on Facebook.

What do you remember about the first gig you ever played in New York? Was it as part of That Dog?

Anna Waronker: I think the first show we ever played in New York was opening for Beck and Evel Kneivel at The Grand. It was a tribute to Evel Kneivel and Beck was asked to perform. We were on tour with Beck at the time so we were also on the bill. All I really remember was that we learned our tour manager misplaced most of our merch cash, I tried to shield a very pregnant Kim Gordon from the crowd, and we had a lot of wigs backstage.

Do you have a favorite of the Totally Crushed Out outtakes? Are there other outtakes in existence, by the way?

AW: I love the acoustic version of “Silently.” And I love that Beck played banjo on it. We were such good friends and collaborators during that time. It was fun to have him on one of our songs.

Members of That Dog have contributed to the work of Weezer, Beck, Mike Watt, The Rentals, Jimmy Eat World, Todd Rundgren, Nada Surf…plenty of great artists. Did that have to do with hanging out with other artists often, as opposed to the work of agents and managers?

AW: Absolutely. It was a very creative and social scene. For us, it was fun to work with different people. Mostly friends. Some people we looked up to.

Promoting Totally Crushed Out outtakes aside, what’s coming up for you? Any chance of more That Dog shows in the future?

AW: Well, we are finishing a new album. It’s pretty close to being finished. It’s been a very cool experience making a new album together. It’s like we picked up where we left off when we were at our most creative state. We are also doing a 20-year anniversary show for Retreat From The Sun at the El Rey in Los Angeles on Apr. 8. We will have some fun guest stars.

When not busy with music, how do you like to spend your free time?

AW: Mostly with kids. Whether our own or with nieces and nephews.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York?

AW: Tony lives in New York, so he has lots of favs, including Barrio Chino (Mexican), Via Carota (Italian), and the Grand Central Oyster Bar (for Oysters, of course). New York can’t be beat for amazing food options, but I have to say L.A. is giving New York a run for its money.

Finally, any last words for the kids?

AW: Be creative however you need to. Take risks. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, we all make them. Don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s a waste of time. Know when to make your own rules and then make them.

https://soundcloud.com/sammeans/ms-wrong/s-QWGGU