Last year, OnMilwaukee.com introduced you to local surf combo The Revomatics, which has maintained a Brew City profile via gigs at places like Kochanski's.
The Revomatics were formed when bassist Pete Flessas (a local scene veteran, whose family owned the fabled all-ages Downtown punk club Yano's) and guitarist Scott Barrette from REV 500 met via Craigslist. The band made its debut in 2010 and promised a debut was in the works.
A year later, there is recorded output to report, says Flessas.
A four-song, self-titled vinyl EP will be released in the coming weeks and will also be available for download via iTunes.
Four originals – "White Cap Sunrise," "Tribal Wave," "Tsunami" and the spaghetti western-influenced "Theme from 'The Revomatics'" – are on the EP, which was recorded in two stints a year apart.
The first and last tracks were put on tape in September at National Recording Studio with Danny Zellonky, but the other two songs were committed to tape by Paul Kneevers at his Junkyard Studio in August 2010.
"We decided to do a vinyl record to keep things 'old school'," says Flessas. "I'm a child of the '80s, so to be on vinyl is a satisfying accomplishment for me as a musician who grew up in that era. Vinyl is also making a comeback and we want to ride that wave!
"The vinyl record allows us to expand on the artwork and create a collectible at the same time. I think fans will be very impressed with this record. We put a lot of time and effort into both the vinyl process and the packaging."
The record will sell for $10 at gigs and $12 including shipping online. Flessas says there is no release party yet scheduled.
Several other tracks by the band, can be downloaded for free at Reverbnation and via Facebook, he says.
"We've come a long way," says Flessas. "Early last month we had the opportunity to open for surf guitar legend Dick Dale at Shank Hall."
Response at gigs has been great, which is no surprise in a town that adores its surf music (see The Exotics for further evidence of this).
The band – which currently comprises Flessas and Barrette plus drummer Jeff Schneider and guitarist Jim Vailliencourt – plays Saturday, Nov. 12 at Kochanski's Concertina Beer Hall in a "Dueling Stages" surf show with Chicago's The Cocktail Preachers.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
