Some of the greatest bands in history weren't real bands at all. From Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem to Cattanooga Cats, history is full of fictional TV and movie bands that performed classic tunes we will never stop loving, even if we can't actually see those bands perform them live. That doesn't mean we can't do right by the music they've left us.
In that spirit, Father/Daughter Records is releasing Faux Real, a Record Store Day compilation of up-and-coming artists like Body Parts, Field Mouse, and Speedy Ortiz's Sadie Dupuis performing some of the best songs by fake bands. One favorite is a standout for fans of late-'90s MTV animation: "Ow! My Face" by Mystik Spiral, Trent Lane's band on Daria. The tune, performed by Boston power-pop punks Bent Shapes, is just as catchy as you remember, and they were this close to getting Alvarado J. Gonzalez, the voice of Trent, to join in.
"We tried to get the voice of Trent to do the intro, but he never responded to our emails," says Bent Shapes frontman Ben Potrykus. "Part of the second verse is lines taken from the mall episode ["It Happened One Nut"]; part of them we just made up."
The album also features a cover of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem's "Don't Blame the Dynamite" by experimental one-man-band Levek. Like other Record Store Day releases, Faux Real will be available at music outlets participating in the annual event (visit the official site to find a participating shop near you), which is April 19.
