ALWAYS BETTER WITH A POPHEAD

By: popheads Mood: full of life Date: 03/11/2008 10:48:23 Music: None

'Always better with a Pophead'

Meet the unique members of local psychedelic, indie-pop quartet

By: Lily Reisman

Posted: 11/26/07

Imagine a warehouse with a family printing business in the front and a large garage filled with antique cars in the back. Now picture a small room off of the garage with mushroom covered tapestries draping the walls, Persian rugs concealing the floor and an abundance of musical instruments, speakers and amplifiers taking up a majority of the open space. This room is where local band The Popheads gathers to create a refreshing and distinct sound that separates it from every other musical group in Tallahassee. The Popheads is composed of Tad Moody, Thomas Vause and brother-sister duo, Eric and Jackie Madsen. All native to Tallahassee, The Popheads' members have been playing together, "almost our whole lives," drummer and vocalist Jackie Madsen said. After playing together for numerous years, the band's undeniable chemistry is heard and seen in all of its songs. While practicing the song, "Up for Now" (which can be heard on their MySpace page), Vause and Jackie Madsen jointly sing the lyrics, "don't look back, don't turn around," when Vause, on guitar, appropriately turns around and looks at Jackie with a big smile that is returned. "We are four, individual, self-disciplined people," guitarist and singer Vause said. "When it comes to wanting to accomplish something with music, we decide that we can all do it better working together." All four members contribute to the vocals in "Up for Now" which also displays the band's cohesiveness and desire to individually combine as one. "Escape Plan," another song that can be found on The Popheads' MySpace page, embodies the psychedelic-pop phenomenon through Vause's repetitive, distorted guitar riff. Eric Madsen, on bass and lead vocals, eerily channels David Byrne from the Talking Heads in the unique and peculiar inflection of his voice. A much heavier and different style sound is heard in the song "The Creator," which "isn't about anything religious," Jackie Madsen said. In the middle of the song, everything culminates and then slowly begins to start back up, only to end with a big bang. First, Eric comes in with a strong bass, then Jackie brings in the drums with a passion that should be envied by any female who has ever dreamed about being a drummer and finally, Vause and Moody bring in the guitars while engaging in a friendly staring competition that aids in their playing to one another. For Pearl Jam fans that shiver at the sound of Eddie Vedder's voice, check out the song "Eurydice" on The Popheads MySpace page. Vause, on lead vocals, will blow listeners away with a sound that shares an uncanny resemblance to Vedder's throaty tone. Before leaving the band's page, also make sure to listen to "Group A" to get a taste of Moody on the keyboard. The slow-paced, melancholy song is reminiscent of one of The Pophead's biggest influences - The Flaming Lips. The combination of the keyboard and the background vocal harmonies are bound to put the listener in a trance. To go along with their psychedelic, indie-pop sound, The Popheads like to make its shows aesthetically pleasing and if they can, add a unique twist that will distinguish its performance from any other. "At one of our most recent shows, we did have a five piece party train," Vause said. "We had a harmonica player, a tambourine player, a saxophone player, a violin player, and my cousin Justin played the trumpet." The Popheads are also known for their eccentric outfits; all three men wear furry pants and Jackie wears leopard print. When on stage, the band members' identities change into their respective colors: Eric is blue, Tad is green, Thomas is red and Jackie is leopard. Initially, the crazy outfits were a random decision, but after realizing the appeal the pants had on its fans, The Popheads decided to make it a trademark look. The fascination with the pants came as quite a hilarious surprise. "We would have had to have been crazy to think that wearing ridiculous fuzzy pants was going to be like a really big draw for people," keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist Moody said. Although not all of the members of the band agree, "Some people think we wear the pants as a gimmick, but we wear the pants because we want to wear the pants," Vause said with a comical tone. To go along with The Popheads' colorful performances are beautifully designed, colorful flyers. Eric Madsen, a gifted artist, is in charge of designing the band's promotional handouts. The flyers "help to tie us in to the band we are playing with," Jackie Madsen said. The creativity of the flyers should not be undermined. Each one is specifically created to connect The Popheads with the artist it will be playing with. "You look at the other band's art and try to get their feel," bass player and vocalist Eric Madsen said. "You try and think, how can I see myself cool like they are cool?" The Popheads recently played two nights in a row at the North Florida Fair and the American Legion Hall. The band is in the process of setting up its next show, but until then check out its MySpace page at myspace.com/popheads for a sample of its tasty grooves and creative flair.

© Copyright 2007 FSView & Florida Flambeau