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Bam
Athens News
Athens News 2
The Other Paper - Elvis-a-thon
Factor X
Columbus Guardian
The Ohio-State Lantern
Mean Street
Moo - Borax
Moo - Thin LIzard Dawn
The Other Paper
Psyche Out (interview)
Screamer
BAM (LOS ANGELES)
LIVE IN THE CLUBS
LOLLIPOP FACTORY
MARCH 6, THE CENTRAL, WEST HOLLYWOOD
I thought Lollipop factory was a very strange name for a metal band. And I was right.
Contrary to what I'd been told, Lollipop Factory isn't a metal band at all. In fact, it
bears for more resemblance to the Beatles, Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians, and the kind
of bands you hear on college radio stations. But even though my favorite music ranges from
punk to thrash, I can still recognize and appreciate something worthwhile outside those
genres...and Lollipop Factory is really very worthwhile. Their music is intricate and
complex, featuring three guitars-twin leads by Jeff Stephenson and David Tweed (who
doubles as the front man vocalist), and rhythm by Rob Heflin. Bassist Matt Stickle avoids
funk- heavy grooves and other currently popular bass rituals; and the time is kept by
drummer Billy Garbe, who uses an amazingly small set (a la early '60's bands) by today's
standards. Though they bear a passing resemblance to mid-career Beatles, the sound is
still very much their own, inspired, and obviously pulled into shape with tender loving
care by supremely talented, creative musicians. And the musicianship-- including strange,
eerie but marvelous harmonies--was outstanding. With a little image control and a total
free-hand on the artistic end, this inland empire band could be a serious chart contender
before you know it.
- Joy Williams
ATHENS NEWS (ATHENS OH.) APR. 4 1996
COLUMBUS' LOLLIPOP FACTORY FILLS THE 'KITSCH NICHE'
When Lollipop Factory isn't implementing it's plans for interstellar domination, the band
boldly goes where many bands have gone before - in search of new audience and the final
frontier. The band's four members join together in complex vocal harmonies laid over heavy
rock music. The overall effect sounds something like a mix between Jellyfish and obscure
prog-rockers, Gentle Giant. "Alot of the hair-bands that we're influenced by were
really glam bands from the '70's," guitarist/vocalist, David Tweed said. "We
always get pegged with the Queen-thing. I guess we have our tongue in Freddy's cheek a
little bit." Along with it's orchestral arrangements and intricately stacked
harmonies, Lollipop Factory likes to mix up their shows with musical time changes.
"We like to pull the rug out from people every now and then," Tweed said.
"We like to give people whiplash." The band's surreal music is augmented by an
energetic and visual stage show that adds to the psychedlic atmosphere. "We're the
kind of band that people can just sit back and drink it all in," Tweed said. "We
decorate the stage with a picket fence and flowers. We actually have something new to
debut - it's a Vegas Vacuum Cleaner Amplifier. It's the Kitsch Niche." Along with
it's plan to overcome gravity and achieve interstellar domination, the band bought drummer
Bill Garbe a white glove to entice him to make a minor change for the band. "One of
the band's goals is to get a castrato in the band," Tweed said. "We've been
trying to talk Billy into lopping off his nards. He's the youngest, but he hit puberty
about 12 years ago so I think we're alittle late." Although Lollipop Factory has
played the Ohio State University campus scene for about two years, Tweed and Garbe have
been working on various projects for almost 10 years. The duo worked on getting publicity
for their compositons in Los Angeles for about two years. "There was a lot of
hair," Tweed said. "Yeah, hair rock, hair-bands - a lot of hair. But I think
we're kind of the evolution of the hair bands starting from the mid-80's. Saturday night's
show will be the band's third Athens appearance this year. Their first two performances
were played with local pop legends, Llava. "It was a really big crowd," Tweed
said. "It kind of freaked us out 'cause people knew our tunes. We weren't expecting
that." The orchestral complexity of the band's music demonstrated on their 1996
release, Soon, is also apparent in their live performance. "When you hear it you'll
say, 'they can't possibly do this live,' but they pull it off," Llava bassist Erik
Ross said. - Ethan McCarty and Montage Sucker
ATHENS NEWS (ATHENS OH.) March 5th 1998
Lollipop Factory is fresh off a tour out West where they expanded their musical horizons
in the California music scene. They have a "vaudvillian/Irish Pub" feel to their
shows - that is, the show IS the show. Once overheard of this band, "its fun to watch
musicians who kick ass hold back, because it would be too much for you to handle if they
let loose." Its true, Lollipop is so good they know when to back off. I'm sure they
could just riddle me with licks that make me want to go home and burn my guitar. But its
not about that. Its a fun carnivore like, er... I mean, carnival like atmosphere. Roman F.
Warmke
The Other Paper - Elvis-a-thon
And then the first big climax of the night: The mighty Lollipop Factory, which first
chewed up Never Been To Spain but then spit out a roof-raising How Great Thou Art, totally
sending the packed club into hoots and hollers of boozy enthusiasm thanks to their
terrific and precise four-part vocal harmonies. Queen addiction aside, the lads of
Lollipop slayed 'em with their performance. I'm sure the King would've tipped his pomp to
'em. John Petric
FACTOR X (SOUTHERN CA.)
LOLLIPOP FACTORY
CASSETTE
Lollipop Factory has got to be one of the best productions out of Riverside. Produced by
David Tweed, this tape is a definite thumbs up. At first listen you would think this is
already a signed professional project. Due to the Freddie Mercury style vocals and post
Sgt. Pepper's Beatle's sound, you just can't help but say "Damn!". Planet Earth,
which is the third song on the second side, leads you into a psychedelic hysteria of
melodic ecstasy you won't want to leave. As a matter of fact, every song on the tape is
surprisingly excellant. Listen and request Planet Earth on the Dave Amatto Local Muzak
Show and hear for yourself. - Paul Hampton
COLUMBUS GUARDIAN (COLUMBUS, OH)
SAILING THE GOOD SHIP
Setting up there gear, the guys in LOLLIPOP FACTORY look unassuming: jeans and T-shirts,
hair a little longer than most. And then the transformation: pants tight enough to
speed-skate in, shirts with enough frills to please a French king, jester hats, and
notice-me sunglasses. "It's kind of like Elvis in Las Vegas meets GENTLE GIANT,"
says singer /guitarist David Tweed, "We definitely had the flamboyant idea."
Playing clubs where tattered denims and sloppy shirts are the standard, Lollipop Factory
recalls the lighter moments of 1970's prog rock. Tweed says he's "ready to accept the
term" prog rock and the band is "trying to leave out the self-indulgent boring
stuff" associated with it. The costumes are eye-catching. So is the three guitar
attack. But the songs come through, a blend of 70's bombast with thrashy pop. "We
really don't try to write anything pop. Usually the songs are screwed up enough to not be
too accessible." Lollipop is recording a CD in Tweed's attic to be released in
January. Oh, and the outfits are bought in the "old ladies' section" of a thrift
store in the Bottoms. "It's a gold-mine," says Tweed.
-David Martin
THE OHIO STATE LANTERN (COLUMBUS, OH.) DEC. 1994
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
"'BIG, HAPPY AND SCARY;' LOLLIPOP FACTORY IS BACK'"
Although punk has been the flavor of the month for a couple years around campus, fans of
local music might be ready for a taste of something else. When the craving hits, Lollipop
Factory should satisfy the discriminating listener's sweet tooth. If the name is not
immediately familiar, Lollipop Factory, in its current incarnation, has only been around
for about a year. The band has recently returned to it's native Columbus after a stint in
southern California. It left Ohio in search of "fame and fortune" but returned
to Columbus to find food and "electricity", according to drummer Bill Garbe.
Garbe, along with guitarist/vocalist David Tweed, formed the core of Lollipop Factory
eight years ago, playing northside venues such as the Alrosa Villa (at that time, the
underage Garbe had to sneak in through the back). Since returning from California, the
band recruited bassist Tony Burlingame and additional guitarist Walt James, leaving the
big-hair scene for the relatively open-minded campus chain-wallet scene. The band now
plays area clubs such as Stache's and the Distillery. Tweed describes his band's sound as
"big, happy and scary." As demonstrated on the bands four-song cassette, it's a
pleasant blend of harmonies and skilled guitar work reminiscent of the post-'66 Beatles
and '70's art rock. The band is currently working on a full length release, expecting it
to be completed within the next several months. To really appreciate Lollipop Factory,
however, one absolutely must see them play live. Big, happy and scary? James' and Tweed's
description of the band's live show sounds like Willy Wonka getting a band together,
knocking over the local Odd Lots for stage props, and heading for Stache's. White picket
fences and plastic flowers share the stage with four band members who "look like they
dressed out of the 1970 Sears catalog," according to Garbe. Imagine a pre-pubescent,
nice-guy version of GWAR growing up in a psychedelic Mr. Rogers neighborhood, getting real
good with their instruments, and knowing how to harmonize. These guys are definitely
outrageous, but don't take my word for it: Lollipop Factory plays at Stache's on Dec. 12.
- John Bowley
MEAN STREET (SOUTHERN CA.)
LOLLIPOP FACTORY
There are very few bands in Southern California who sound as fresh and innovative as
Lollipop Factory. These guys pulled off one of the best sounding shows I've seen in a long
time. With a modern ear for harmony and arrangement, these guys have assembled a sound
akin to Pink Floyd via the Motors via Brian Wilson with a little Queen and B.O.C. thrown
in for kicks. Loud guitars, heavy beat, smooth harmonies and a bit of humor really makes
these guys a "must see" band. Keep an eye out for Lollipop Factory. - W.B.
Phillips
MOO (COLUMBUS, OH.)
BORAX
...Borax's Pop...ends up sounding like a less inspired version of kitsch-gurus Lollipop
Factory, minus the five-part vocal harmonies. - Ed Milich
MOO (COLUMBUS, OH)
THIN LIZARD DAWN
THIN LIZARD DAWN (RCA)
Hey, if RCA is gonna throw money at Queen fans, how come not Lollipop Factory? Okay, Thin
Lizzard ...blah blah blah..... - Craig regala
THE OTHER PAPER (COLUMBUS, OHIO) FEB. 16 '95
OF QUEEN FLOWERS AND PICKET FENCES
It's not often that a band so powerfully copies another's style that it leaves you either
enthralled or in stitches. For local quartet Lollipop Factory, Queen is it's guiding
light. I would call it an obsession. Nearly every song Lollipop Factory played at Stache's
Friday night was an original, well-intentioned variation of Queen's Bohemiam Rhapsody. To
these ears, it was a hoot. But to 90 percent of the crowd, it was the real thing-the
pretentious twin guitar parts, the complex arrangements and harmonies, the
larger-than-life attitude. And that's not to mention the group's strange sense of
fashion-part '70s nostalgia, part original bizarreness, with striped and satin pants, hats
and shirts. And they had a picket fence set up, with fake flowers around the amplifiers.
Yo, what's up wit'dat? I thought they were hilarious. Not just because they use Queen as
an inspiration, but because they're so Spinal Tap. Check 'em out at Bernie's on Saturday.
-John Petric
PSYCHE OUT (ITALY) SUMMER '97
LOLLIPOP FACTORY (INTERVIEW)
Note: If anybody out there in Lollipop land understands Italian, please e-mail us and tell
us what the hell we said.
Nel recensire la loro ultima fatica "Soon", nel numero scorso ho detto che se
nessuno lo avesse saputo, sarebbero potuti passare per i Queen. David, ci spiega queste
affinita. PO: Parlami in generale di "Soon" chi ha scelto il titolo, chi scrive
i pezzi e quando e' uscito. LF: Il titolo, la musica e i testi sono tutti miei. L'album lo
abbiamo terminato nel dicembre '95, da allora abbiamo basso e chitarra nuovi! PO: L'album
esce per una label immaginaria, la BIGRIGG. Puoi parlarcene un po meglio di essa? LF:
Alcune persone hanno degli amici immaginari, noi abbiamo un'etichetta! Il nome e' in onore
di un nostro grande amico, David Bigrigg appunto. PO: Che temi trattate nelle canzoni
solitamente? LF: Cantiamo a proposito della pace, dell'amore e del sesso in gravita' zero.
PO: Chi e' la musa ispiratrice per i vostri brani? LF: Sempre lui. l'eternamente grande
BigRigg. PO: Provenite da Columbus, Ohio, come si presenta la scena musicale nella vostra
citta' e in generale? LF: La scena e' molto noisy. Anche mio padre e' d'accordo. e' un
vero e proprio combo noise. PO: Coso ne pensi del circuito internazionale delle fanzine e
piu' in generale dell'underground?LF: Credo vhe sia una sorta di ragnatela economica. Non
nel tuo caso chiaramente. PO: La tua voce e' etremamente simile a quella di un notissimo
singer oramai defunto. E' solamente una coincidenza opprre e' l'ennesimo scherzo? LF: Non
so se tu pensi a John o Freddie. Ad ogni modo il mio cantante preferito e' Elvis!! PO:
David, qual'e' il tuo sogno irrealizzabile? LF: Essere il primo impersonificatore di Elvis
e suonare con Robert Schuller in "Hour of Power". PO: Dove, quando e con chi,
avete tenuto il vostro show piu' grosso? Cosa ricordate di esso? LF: Nel Novembre del '96
a Athens, non ricordo con quali bands, pero' noi eravamo stanchi e malati, la polizia fece
il resto. Fu bellissimo. PO: Qual'e' l'ultimo libro che gai sul comodino? LF: "Naked
Lunch" e "1066". PO: Progetti futuri? Quando vi vedremo in Italia? LF:
Vogliamo registrare diversi singoli, crediamo che il CD sia troppo lungo, e poi amiamo
7"/12". Per quanto riguarda il vostro paese, ci piacerebbe tanto venire ma la
nostra label immaginaria, organizza sol tour immaginari. Poi, c'e' un piccolo problema
chiamato Oceano Atlantico! Comunque non si puo' mai sapere, puo' asciugarsi. -Silvano
Pertone
SCREAMER (SOUTHERN CA.)
LOLLIPOP FACTORY
It has been said that history tends to repeat itself about every thirty years or so. We
are already seeing evidence of this in the nineties through the resurfacing of such
sixties trends as political awareness, protests, tie-dyed clothing and psychedelic music.
The name Lollipop factory brings to mind images of those psychedelic sixties, and of
course, the Beatles. Watching the band perform live, their image is even further
reminiscent of these things. Donning Lennon glasses was vocalist David Tweed, along with
rhythm guitarist Rob Heflin, while bassist Mike Carr was sporting velvet print pants. This
five-piece rock band hailing from Columbus, Ohio presented a '60s-style image and sound
mixed with a distinctive '90s flavor. The one thing that impressed me the most was their
incredible vocal harmonies. They have managed to capture that almost ethereal sound the
Beatles had, yet their overall musical content was not really similar at all. Bill Garbe's
synchomesh skin-pounding created contour, while guitarist Jeff Stephenson added color with
his fundemental and fun-demented fret board runs. Songs that stood out the most were
Prettier Than Thou, which had a great hook line that I'm still humming, and I Think Of
You, a real up beat and cheerful tune. The idea of a '60s-reminiscent band may work well
for these guys because they have the talent, and the sound they have achieved is unique in
comparison to most of the bands on the circuit right now. They have skillfully resurrected
some of the popular trends of the sixties and expanded them with their own modern style to
create quite an interesting combination. -Karen Pfisterer
Angry
Cringe
Flipside
The Glass Eye
Columbus Guardian
Hard Times
Moo
Psyche Out
Rational Enquirer
Screed
Billy Angry (Internet)
Lollipop Factory
Soon
There are some things that audiences do not ask for, simply because there is no need for it. Nobody asked for any attempts to write sequels to the Beatles Sgt. Pepper tunes, or for anyone to emulate Frank Zappa, and one Queen was more than enough, thank you. Here we have a band trying to bestow all three upon us, and maybe throw in a little retro-Sabbath as well. Apparently, there is a certain degree of hoopla surrounding the Ohio-based band, which you might guess that I clearly do not understand. The opening Sunday Drive is an extremely bland attempt to re-write Sweet Leaf-era Black Sabbath, never approaching the pop that this band has been noted for. The Wonderful World Of Mister Round (Benefit Of Mr. Kite Part II?)is rife with silly harpsichord, I guess with the intention of trying to be experimental. Things do not improve any when we get to the cliche-ridden The Worm. Is this supposed to be comedy? Hearing a band having fun is a great thing, but going out of their way to try and be quirky can be dangerous. Frank Zappa succeeded through his musical expertise and originality. Lollipop Factory hopes that just not making sense is good enough as in the just-plain-dumb Bouncing Ball, complete with Queen-type harmonies. Other tracks like A Kind Of Circus and the pretentiously-titled Life And Times Of Alfred Byrd do not further the bands cause in this light Musically, the band has little to offer with a vocalist that sounds like a mid-80s metal wailer and an incredibly bland band. The ballad, Planet Earth, is one of the better examples of the band attempting to create an atmosphere and stopping at nothing to try and shove it down our throats. According to the internet, live performance is where the band really shines. While I've never seen them, and can't see putting myself through the torture of hearing these songs live, I can only assume that it must be some sort of comedy revue. By definition this isn't a bad thing, as in Kiss' case, but there has to be SOME degree of substance. Sadly, substance is one of many things that the Lollipop Factory do not have. -Billy Angry
Cringe (Columbus, Oh)
Lollipop Factory
Soon
In a previous review, I said Lollipop Factory was a guilty pleasure for me. Well, now I can have this pleasure in private. If you've heard about this band, you've invariably heard Queen mentioned in the same breath. LF is quirky, silly pop-rock with sweet layered arrangements circa 1979. Yes, the Queen comparisons are valid. LF even paraphrases Brian May's guitar work. But there is a bit more to LF than Queen. The production and arrangements bring to mind Trevor Horn (The Buggles, Yes, Art of Noise) and a number of other slick, flashy studio producers and bands. The lyrics are silly little childish plays on words and sounds that generally fit the music just fine. I'll admit, sometimes it seems LF is pushing the childlike silliness a bit further than their genius is effectively capable of doing. I mean, these guys ain't kids, though they may have fathered a few. This is real sweet stuff to listen to, and though many cool people may blow this off as 70's fodder, it ain't like punk is brand new either. This is probably the slickest produced album to come out of these here parts ever. It's anti-lo-fi. Anti-lo-tech. Anti-lo self-esteem. It's anti-cringe. Then again, I guess it may make a few people cringe, too. -Joel
Flipside
Lollipop Factory
Soon
This started off really interesting for me, with the opener ("Sunday Drive")sounding like a cross between Argent's "Hold your Head Up", Queen, and the Beatles. The guitars sound really great. The second song ("The Wonderful World of Mr. Round") starts with a harpsichord and blasts off into something between Queen, Zappa, and Alice... though my guess is that Queen is the main source of inspiration here. "The Worm" has a groove like Sweet. Man, I'm digging this one (h-yuk, h-yuk)! This one's a keeper. I was telling my friend Bruce about it, just so happens that he had a copy of it sitting in front of him! How weird!!! He said it's a CD demo. Looks pretty good for a demo. Anyway, this has got lots of little things going for it, it's a great effort, clever lyrics, great vocals, catchy hooks, cool guitar parts and leads, nifty sound. My favorite song has to be "A kind of Circus", with this funny/cool little circus breakdown theme going on. Look out for the clown with the ladder and the seltzer bottle, hee-ya! This whole disc is definitely out of step with what's going on in the rock scene these days, thankfully....I like this disc, it's another refreshing blast of fresh air from the same place as Monster Truck Five. -Reflex
The Glass Eye
Lollipop Factory
Soon
In Toledo, Ohio, most real music fans check out a live performance of The Mark Mikel
Hallucination when they need a psychedelic fix of inventive maestro-work tunage. In
Columbus, I'm undeniably sure fans catch Lollipop Factory for the same reason! Like the
Hallucination, Lollipop Factory embody a ton of charm, plenty o'Beatlesque melody (Abby
Road era), that retro-60's psychedelic-sound popularized by Supertramp and Sueeeze, and
that theatrical almost orchestral, art sound detected in bands like Queen, Jellyfish and
Moxy Fruvous. Every doggoned song on "Soon" is a mini-opus! The vocals of David
Tweed (guitar), Bob Watts (bass), Bill Garbe (drums) and Scott Gorsuch (guitar) burst
forth in perfect four-part harmony. Their sweeping enunciation propels from a polite vocal
tone to an overblown, spurious operatic vastness. Sure, it gets a bit excessive at times,
but the ultra-cryptic lyrics keep you hooked. "The Life and Times of Alfred
Byrd" is amazing as is "Sunday Drive", with it's distinctive driving bass,
virtuoso guitar and shrill vocals. And like the Beatles ("Mean Mr. Mustard",
Maxwell's Silver Hammer") or The Hallucination ("Mr. Creme Machine"),
Lollipop Factory have their eccentric "character" ditty, "The Wonderful
World of Mr.Round", complete with harpsichord. It's a Queen-like cut, as are "A
Kind of Circus" and "SuperJester", but bombastically catchy! "The
Worm" gives the band an imperative hard rock underpinning, fueling the tune with
high-handed Jeff Beck/Edgar Winters guitar licks, while "Responsible Man"
adheres to a Moxy Fruvous goofiness and general tongue-cheekiness. Only once did I find
the band going "overboard", and that's on "Bouncing Ball"- it sounds
too much like a grandiloquent Vaudvillian piece! Let Lollipop Factory goose-step their
creamy falsetto strut down your earhole and sugar-coat your brain with pure sucrose rock,
'cause these boys make pop music of an incomparable self-assurance!
-ES3 (3 1/2 Glass eyes out of 4)
COLUMBUS GUARDIAN (COLUMBUS, OH.)
LOLLIPOP FACTORY
SOON - CD Many of the folks who inhabit the songs of Lollipop Factory aren't exactly the
sort one would expect to find hanging out on High Street. One would more likely find the
album's jesters, domineering bosses, exotic women, and cartoon devils in the art/pop rock
songs of the late '60's and 70's, especially those of the Beatles, King Crimson, and
Queen. But a goodly dose of power pop--Cheap Trick styled--pervades. The album's best
moments are those in which the influences are twisted by a sense of humor, especially
"The Worm" and "Real Life", which sends up the Beach Boys while paying
tribute. - Curt Scheibert
HARD TIMES (LOUISVILLE KY)
LOLLIPOP FACTORY
SOON
At almost every concert I've ever attended I've fallen asleep. I used to justify it by claiming music relaxes me. I'll listen to underground, above ground, whatever, all day but they usually aren't very good live. Why? That's so upsetting. One must resort to listening to a Dead cover band to hear good live music. This brings me to Lollipop Factory. On first listen I imagined a glam band playing Queen/Dweezil Zappa stuff. In reality, they write good pop songs in three part harmony with bad lyrics. Didn't Queen do that? No one ever said you must struggle to enjoy music. Relax, and realize what artists like Tiffany, Lollipop Factory, and romance novelists have to offer: a guilty pleasure like scratching your mosquito bites.
Moo (Columbus)
Lollipop Factory
Soon
Redd Kross, Scarlet Picnic, pink polka-dotted plastic patio furniture, Queen, gumball
machines, Twinkies, roller coasters, plastic lawn flamingos, polyester anything, thrift
store treasures, Big Fun, all-day suckers, the I love you, Liquid Jesus, Celebrity Skin
L.A. Triumvirate, Saturday morning cartoons, ice-cream floats, refrigerator magnets: FUN.
If any of the above hold any significance to you, dear friends, do yourself a favor and
scoot down to one of the dozen or so Cowtown groove merchants and pick up a copy of
Lollipop Factory's debut CD. Your thirst for kitschy poppiness will be duly saturated.
Words can't express the joy that this band brings to the ears of this musically jaded sod.
Well, let's give words a try, anyway. How about "Something completely
different". Yes, these cowtown lads mix highly developed melodic rhythms with
unavoidably catchy, cartoon opera-inspired vocals sung in perfect three-part harmony. It's
seems to me that the band's sojourn to the west coast a few years back exposed them to
some highly diversified, highly talented performers, which led to the blossoming of the
peerless Lollipop style. You'd have to be deaf to fail to appreciate the unconventionality
and infectious songwriting of this, Columbus' most underrated bunch. Since I aquired this
gem a few short weeks ago, I've changed my mind about my favorite song on the disc quite a
number of times, a sure sign of an LP's significance. At first, I was stuck on the
irresistable "Sunday Drive", which soon gave way to "Alfred Byrd" and
then "Bouncing Ball" as my personal favorite. My God, but these melodies are
infectious! It's my personal opinion that "Soon" is the best collection of songs
that our humble burg has produced. Buy or barbecue. A+
(E.P. Milich)
PSYCHE OUT (GENOVA,ITALY)
LOLLIPOP FACTORY
SOON
Arrivano dall' Ohio questa band fotocopia dei Queen. Nella recensione di una 'zine
americana, avevo letto di questa affinita' col gruppo di Mercury, ebbene e' la verita'. Se
al posto di "Made in Heaven" fosse uscito quest "Soon", nessuno si
sarebbe probabilmente accorto dell'inghippo! Le dieci tracce presenti, non dico nulla di
nuovo quindi, anche se piu' di una persona credo ne sarebbe entusiasta. Quasi
exclusivamente per Queen fans. -Silvano Pertone
The Rational Enquirer
Lollipop Factory
Soon
Lots of colors on the cover. Lots of hair in the pictures. Lots of slow harmonies and lead
guitars. This has all the factors of the '70s that made me hate music. Maybe a more
psychedelic version of Queen would give you an idea of what this is like. Hippy rock
sucks! (NM)
SCREED
LOLLIPOP FACTORY
SOON CD
From Columbus is the sugary-sweet Lollipop Factory. The CD is well-polished, very poppy,
and upbeat. Listening to it reminded me of those killer Queen harmonies meets the Beatles
musical groove and effects. If this release is an indication of their live shows, they'll
be selling out clubs in no time. There's an unquestionable charm about the band which has
projected onto the disc. With a fresh attitude David Tweed (vocals/guitar), Bill Garbe
(drums/vocals), Scott Gorsuch (guitar/vocals), and Bob Watts (bass/vocals) will be making
headlines one way or another. Pop this CD in the car and head out for a road trip to the
Lollipop Factory. Guaranteed no cavities! -Robin
7" Reviews
Cringe
Columbus Dispatch
Hard Times
Moo
CRINGE (COLUMBUS, OH)
WINTER '97
LOLLIPOFP FACTORY 7"- OBJECTIVE MAN B\W DANCING QUEEN, BOUNCING BALL (SLIGHT RETURN)
Before the "love me, love me, love me's of Abba, err the Cardigans, filled the airwaves (and my voice mail) our local disciples of Freddy Mercury and Queen were covering the real thing. And if the Cardigan's smooth "Abbasqueness" can work with Sabbath's "Iron Man", it certainly follows that a Queened group such as Lollipop Factory can cover "Dancing Queen". Hmm, it might even be LF's jab at all the critical comparisons to Queen and the 70's... Then again, one has to wonder if this could be Lollipop's year with all the 70's throw backs on the charts (The Cardigans, No Doubt, that Grease medley, and Star Wars?). Anyway, the Factory model of "DQ" is a bit heavy on the guitars and their ain't no females in the workhouse, but the harmonizing still works - if ya like Abba. Bouncing Ball (Slight Return) is actually an unplugged (one acoustic guitar and layered vocals) verse or two reprise of a cut from their "Soon" CD. Now, maybe it's me old needle and turntable, but it has a bit of an old staticy victrola timber to it. I could also totally believe that was Pop foreman David Tweed's intention. The title cut, "Objective Man", is a bit grittier than some of their tunes. That could also be the vinyl speaking to me again, though. There's still lots of arena art rock textured guitar and barbershop quartet harmonizing. The lighter parts have that "Waterloo Sunset" rhythmic and melodic giddiness. Unfortunately, this title track comes off as the least interesting when grouped with the two cuts on side B. Shave a couple minutes off the "Man" and ya might have a nice 3 minute pop song. Until then I think I might stick to the two tunes on the other side... -Joel
COLUMBUS DISPATCH (COLUMBUS, OH.)
STACHE'S BENEFIT
Tonight is Stache's Relocation Benefit in Stache's, 2402 N. High St. Bands include Rhubarb
Smash, Lollipop Factory and Mudflap Girls from Venus. Lollipop Factory deserves special
mention for it's recent 7" release (on Moebius Palindrome). Objective Man b/w Dancing
Queen ( Yes, the Abba song). Lollipop Factory tells us Field & Stream says of it:
"This new stink bait'll haul in the lunkers quicker'n all git out." Things get
started around 9 p.m. Admission is $5 at the door. - Night Life
HARD TIMES (LOUISVILLE, KY)
LOLLIPOP FACTORY
7"
MOEBIUS PALINDROME
On one side I'm in a yellow submarine with Willie Wonka in the chocolate factory. The
other side is a cover of "Dancing Queen" and some song about a bouncing ball. I
am terrified, yet compelled, to see these people live. Definitely listen to this for
yourself. At this point, aren't words rather bad-trip scary and irrelevant anyway? -
Carolyn Biggs
MOO (COLUMBUS, OH)
LOLLIPOP FACTORY
7" - OBJECTIVE MAN B/W DANCING QUEEN, BOUNCING BALL (SLIGHT RETURN) MOEBIUS
PALINDROME
WTF! y'know? Wish I knew more about the few fewisms of Brit glam pop circa '73 'cause then
I could fing a peg to hang this on, or at least a wrock writerly comparison that about
four people will get (I don't even wanna start with the Sparks comparisons 'cause I've
only heard two of their many and none of their "classics" -- ask Bob "The
Snake Pollard" or Mike Rep they've juggled a few of those jewels themselves) so let's
go with Queen's pompj-rock stripped down to the four-part harmonies and pop structures
with heavy clean chug-metal guitar. The tune's okay, the word play pokey-jokey and beats
anything Jellyfish ever recorded. The acoustic "Bouncing Balls" isn't the Cyrcle
rip-off we were all hoping for and the straight cover of ABBA's "Dancing Queen"
is a non-ironic, plumper version without quite as much sex gush in the vocals, but how
could four guys compete on that terrain? They do sound "it", but I know they are
not. I'd a been a whole lot happier if they were two pairs of Tori Spelling lookalike
16-year-old twinsin crop tops and rainbow toe sox, but I'm not makin' the rules, right?
Too bad, we need that all-rock issue with a 22-page Sabbath song-by-song
dissection/influence flow chart right about now in the dark days where Superchunk is
viewed as acceptable rock roots. Boys, try the Crabby Appleton tune "Go Back"
next time and your manliness will be ever apparent. B- - Craig Regala