Artist description Hook-filled rock n roll. Clever lyrics with lots of guitars and solid rhythms. Think Iggy meets the Promise Ring.

Music Style Pop, rock n roll whatever.

Musical Influences Replacements, Big Star, The Pixies, The Jam, Superchunk, Beatles, New York Dolls

Similar Artists Promise Ring, Superdrag, The Get Up Kids, Material Issue, Supercunk, Weezer

Artist History Throughout the late1990s the only musical interest famous fm’s singer/guitarist John Evans (Big Perm, The Institutes and a one-night engagement with Cher UK) and bassist Dusty Blegstad (Romeo Slam, Paved In Skin) knew they shared was a retail one. Dusty unloaded dubious recording gear on John at ridiculously marked-up prices from a red-necked suburban music store just outside of Kansas City (only to cull a pittance in commission; all told we believe Dusty earned $4.37 in commission from the millions in recording gear he foisted upon John. Karma’s a bitch). By 1999 John was destitute. He ran into the sheepish Dusty at a pawn shop. It was here he recalled the power of Dusty’s charlatan qualities and decided these made him a proper creative partner in a rock band. Throughout late 1999 and early 2000 John had been writing and performing music for his never-to-be-released, Matt Wilsoneque solo record with bassist Steve Brown (formerly of Mimi’s Third Cousin, now in Girl For Samson). In late 1999 Dusty came in to play keyboards and eventually picked up the bass guitar. To further illustrate his treachery and slight-of-hand, Dusty played the bass upside down. Gear was moved, a PA built, a name chosen FamousFM was born. After a couple stumbles over an empty drum throne Dusty and John eventually rediscovered drummer Dan Dummit (formerly of Mop, Thirsty, and the Joe Roberts Band) when he served them the fluid for their rock-n-roll souls; black coffee. Dan has a clock for a left foot. Dan hits harder than your big brother did after he yelled “SLUG BUG!” Dan and John had collaborated briefly on a project in the mid 90s producing a sonically challenged recorded work, (recorded on gear bought from Dusty). Let the circle be unbroken. Famous fm has played shows in Kansas City, Austin, Chicago, Lincoln, Omaha, Iowa City, and Lawrence with notable acts such as The Creature Comforts, The Daybirds, Ultimate Fakebook, Iffy, Marvel Kind, The Kicks, Alto Heceta, Tel Ray, Moaning Lisa, and Man Planet. Some of their best shows were at KC’s own Hurricane which included an impromptu version of “I wanna be Your Dog” featuring The Filter (aka Steve Tulipana of Season to Risk) on lead vocals and no chorus. In early 2001 they recorded, then re-recorded, then re-re-recorded their debut, self-produced, full-length effort “The Long and Short of Measuring Up” at Kansas City’s famed Guttersnipe Studio. Critics have said of The Long and Short . . . that famous fm delivers their own version of rock and roll salvation. Their hook-laden songs have been compared to Material Issue, The Replacements, Superchunk, and fellow KC natives, The Get Up Kids. But the thread that recurs through all famous fm reviews is that this band is poised for something very big. But the test of any band is the live show and famous fm brings energy and urgency back to rock music – putting the “n-roll” back into rock. These three musicians put more energy into a show than a clown troop on Vivarin. Famous fm is ready to return to the road, soon they’ll be back in the studio to write the hooks that make the kids go “wow!” (Lest you wonder, making the kids go “wow” is everything it’s cracked up to be) Look for their appearances in the shows section of the website. If you’re on a road trip and see a van filled with three blurry sets of eyes, it might be our steadfast architects of rock-n-roll. So pull them over at the next Stuckeys and buy ‘em a cheeseburger. Don’t worry if they try to market something musical; though there isn’t much profit in what they’re selling these days it all works perfectly.

Group Members John - vocals and guitars Mitchell - bass & backing vocals Dan - drum kit

Instruments guitar, bass, drums

Albums The Long and Short of Measuring Up

Press Reviews Famous FM: The Long and Short of Measuring Up Rating 7 out of 10 Reviewed: James Heiman, Contributing Editor of nuwax.com Rock music tends to get what it needs when it needs it, even when what it needs is what it’s already had. This year we saw the tired and worn out moniker of major-label “indie” rock get a kick in the pants, old school, with the resurgence of Weezer and a “New York Doll’s revival” from The Strokes. Familiar though not derivative, it’s what rock and roll devotionists are looking for in a congregation overrun by bands that are “Staind” and “Nickelback”’ed. Though on a much smaller scale, the Kansas City three-piece band FamousFM has clearly done its part in delivering its own version of rock and roll salvation. On their self-released debut album The Long and Short of Measuring Up, FamousFM present eleven well-crafted power-pop songs about love, loss, lust, liquor, and loneliness reminiscent at times of Material Issue (lead singer, guitarist, and lyricist John Evans sounds like Jim Ellison reincarnate combined with Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids) and late-era Lemonheads. You know immediately from the opening riff of the album’s first song (“Blind Spot”) that something special yet familiar is going on, like spotting in a crowd the face of an attractive man or women you recognize but whose name you can’t recall. This musical imprint or vibe carries through most of the album with lots of catchy guitar licks and solid bass lines. What is less compelling, though, are drum beats and backing vocals that seem to be recycled throughout most of the songs. But despite its occasional repetitiveness, each song (with the exception of “Stuck,” which sounds too much like REM’s “Strange” minus any �lan) has enough individuality to keep itself fresh and distinct from the other songs on the album, let alone any other song you’ve ever heard. Lyrics allow the songs on Measuring to standout when the music doesn’t. Evans is at his best when he’s rowdy and irreverent. For example, in “Style Points,” he gets straight to the heart of the matter of barroom politics: “So bored with naked shoulders/that don’t produce hangovers.” His rhyming is clever and engaging, without sacrificing sense, when he plays with the language: “I take full advantage/of a life of vagabondage.” However, though meant to be touching and emotional, songs such as “My Part” and “Testing You” fall just short of success, relying more on metaphor or imagery rather than story—like making sense of a movie from the trailer instead of watching the entire film. Bottom line: FamousFM brings the noise and attitude that we know and expect from rock and roll bands. Besides some occasionally clever recording tricks, there’s nothing here that’s revolutionary or cutting-edge. But that’s not the band’s bag. At least not now. If your musical mission is to rock out to a band that cares about its songs as well as preserving the hallowed life known as the rock and roll lifestyle, without falling in the snare of clich�, then keep your eyes and ears on FamousFM.

Location Kansas City, MO - USA

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