Ultrabreakfast @ Cuisine en Locale 9.19.2014

It would be hard for me to overstate how important Ultrabreakfast has been to my time in the Boston music scene. Their indie rock, janglefuzz tunes brought me out to the clubs. They taught me who Billy Ruane was. “Gonna go out tonight/Gonna get my hand stamped twice” became words to live by. Friendships and bands formed with and around this crew have impacted just about every aspect of my life. Needless to say, when Ultrabreakfast got together to play their first show in 15 years as part of WMBR’s Pipeline! at 25 celebration, I was there.

Ultrabreakfast – Ice Cream Tricycle (1997)


Ultrabreakfast
Ice Cream Tricycle
1997

Mix equal parts Pavement and Smudge (the Australian, Tom Morgan fronted Smudge) and you’ll get a rough idea of what Ultrabreakfast sounds like. It’s quirky, fuzzy, catchy and fun. The production is mid-fi, the playing is a little sloppy, and it’s full of heart. All of this is documented on their full length album, Ice Cream Tricycle.

While much of the record is full of indie rock crackle and buzz, my favorite song on Ice Cream Tricycle is a straight up pop tune. “Mary” has a sweet guitar line and a simple melody that works well with Josh Boughey’s cool vocal delivery. The song has an innocence to it that will put a smile on your face.

The rest of Ice Cream Tricycle has something for everyone. There are quick and dirty up tempo numbers like “Orange Car,” “Dragon” and “Wishlist” (which mentions such wonderful things as Superchunk, albino kangaroos, time machines and dear departed local legend Billy Ruane). Kristen Day’s kick-snare beat and Tim Farrell’s slide guitar give “On The Floor” an almost country feel. The slower numbers provide the band some room to experiment with their sound. These songs serve as a showcase for Paul Wisner’s creative guitar effects. There’s even a conceptual song trilogy within the album’s ranks. All of this in under 40 minutes. That’s some marvelous ’90s indie rock efficiency.

Where to get it: