Papas Fritas
Encyclopedia
Papas Fritas is an American indie-rock band that formed in 1992 and released three studio albums before quietly breaking up around 2001. The band's name is Spanish for "French fries" but is also a pun on the phrase "Pop has freed us," which they used as both the name of their music publishing company and their 2003 career retrospective
.
in Somerville, Massachusetts, where they met classmate Keith Gendel (bass, vocals). At first the band performed just for fun in and around the Tufts campus—their recording aspirations were limited to the self-distributed cassette-only releases "Careers for Culture Lovers" and "Retards/Cowboys"—but by '94 they'd recorded a proper seven-inch single for Sunday Driver Records (Friday Night) and agreed to promote it with a US tour. The song "Smash This World" received some radio play on college stations, prompting Chicago-based Minty Fresh to sign Papas Fritas, and in October 1995 they released their self-titled debut album
.
The band spent the rest of the year and most of '96 touring Europe and the United States with the Flaming Lips and the Cardigans, respectively. They released their sophomore album, Helioself
, in April 1997, kicking off another tour of home and abroad with the Cardigans once again, as well as Blur and Eels. (Matt O'Keefe, a roadie for Papas Fritas during their tours with the Cardigans and Blur in '97, wrote a novel titled You Think You Hear, published in 2001, that is "LOOSELY based on our experiences on the road," according to the band's website. "If you decide to read it, remember that in reality, Papas Fritas are mentally stable and considerate individuals.") Donna Coppola (keyboards, percussion) and Chris Colthart (guitar) of the Solar Saturday (later the Faraway Places) joined Papas Fritas's touring lineup in the summer of '99 and helped promote the band's third LP, Buildings and Grounds
, which hit stores in March 2000.
After the tour ended Asthana and Gendel went back to school, the former earning a master's degree in public health from Boston University in 2002, while the latter moved to Los Angeles to study at the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Goddess stuck with music, cowriting “Amsterdam” in 2003 for Guster
, fellow alumni of Tufts University; working with Bleu on two tracks for the Boston power-pop singer's Electric Light Orchestra pastiche, Alpacas Orgling
(2006); contributing a song to the Nickelodeon series Yo Gabba Gabba!
; and producing and/or playing in the Rudds, the Silver Lining, Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents, and other Boston bands.
In May 2011 Asthana, Goddess, and Gendel reunited for festival appearances in Belgium, France, and Spain (with Samantha Goddess, Tony's wife and Shivika's college roommate, on keyboards), plus two gigs in the Boston area. Four months later they taped an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba! for the show's fourth season.
Singles
Pop Has Freed Us
Pop Has Freed Us, a compilation/career retrospective by Papas Fritas, contains eight songs from their studio albums and nine rarities, and comes with a DVD featuring three music videos...
.
History
Tony Goddess (guitar, vocals) and Shivika Asthana (drums, vocals) met in high school in Delaware before enrolling in Tufts UniversityTufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
in Somerville, Massachusetts, where they met classmate Keith Gendel (bass, vocals). At first the band performed just for fun in and around the Tufts campus—their recording aspirations were limited to the self-distributed cassette-only releases "Careers for Culture Lovers" and "Retards/Cowboys"—but by '94 they'd recorded a proper seven-inch single for Sunday Driver Records (Friday Night) and agreed to promote it with a US tour. The song "Smash This World" received some radio play on college stations, prompting Chicago-based Minty Fresh to sign Papas Fritas, and in October 1995 they released their self-titled debut album
Papas Fritas (album)
Papas Fritas is the debut album by Papas Fritas and was released in October 1995 on Minty Fresh. Trouser Press editor Ira Robbins wrote that the group "turns extraordinarily fetching pop concoctions like 'Lame to Be,' 'TV Movies,' 'Possibilities' and 'Smash This World' into disarmingly...
.
The band spent the rest of the year and most of '96 touring Europe and the United States with the Flaming Lips and the Cardigans, respectively. They released their sophomore album, Helioself
Helioself
Helioself, the second album by Papas Fritas, was released in the spring of 1997. According to the band's website, "Helioself is the name of the mythical Sun-Ra sessions that were so powerful .....
, in April 1997, kicking off another tour of home and abroad with the Cardigans once again, as well as Blur and Eels. (Matt O'Keefe, a roadie for Papas Fritas during their tours with the Cardigans and Blur in '97, wrote a novel titled You Think You Hear, published in 2001, that is "LOOSELY based on our experiences on the road," according to the band's website. "If you decide to read it, remember that in reality, Papas Fritas are mentally stable and considerate individuals.") Donna Coppola (keyboards, percussion) and Chris Colthart (guitar) of the Solar Saturday (later the Faraway Places) joined Papas Fritas's touring lineup in the summer of '99 and helped promote the band's third LP, Buildings and Grounds
Buildings and Grounds
Buildings and Grounds is the third and final studio album by Papas Fritas, released stateside on Minty Fresh in March 2000. In Australia it was distributed by local label Half a Cow, their first release of a non-Aussie album since Bettie Serveert's Palomine five years earlier.- Track listing...
, which hit stores in March 2000.
After the tour ended Asthana and Gendel went back to school, the former earning a master's degree in public health from Boston University in 2002, while the latter moved to Los Angeles to study at the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Goddess stuck with music, cowriting “Amsterdam” in 2003 for Guster
Guster
Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...
, fellow alumni of Tufts University; working with Bleu on two tracks for the Boston power-pop singer's Electric Light Orchestra pastiche, Alpacas Orgling
Alpacas Orgling
Alpacas Orgling is an album by pop band L.E.O.. Released in October 2006 on Cheap Lullaby Records, it was mostly written and performed by Bleu, but also features performances by Hanson, Mike Viola, Jason Scheff of Chicago, Andy Sturmer of Jellyfish, Paula Kelley, and Matt Mahaffey of Self.A hidden...
(2006); contributing a song to the Nickelodeon series Yo Gabba Gabba!
Yo Gabba Gabba!
Yo Gabba Gabba! is an American children's television show currently airing on the Nick Jr. cable network in the United States and the Nick Jr. networks in the United Kingdom & Ireland, Italy, France and Australia as well as Treehouse TV network in Canada and RTE2 on RTEjr see Raidió Teilifís...
; and producing and/or playing in the Rudds, the Silver Lining, Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents, and other Boston bands.
In May 2011 Asthana, Goddess, and Gendel reunited for festival appearances in Belgium, France, and Spain (with Samantha Goddess, Tony's wife and Shivika's college roommate, on keyboards), plus two gigs in the Boston area. Four months later they taped an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba! for the show's fourth season.
Discography
Albums- Papas FritasPapas Fritas (album)Papas Fritas is the debut album by Papas Fritas and was released in October 1995 on Minty Fresh. Trouser Press editor Ira Robbins wrote that the group "turns extraordinarily fetching pop concoctions like 'Lame to Be,' 'TV Movies,' 'Possibilities' and 'Smash This World' into disarmingly...
(1995) - HelioselfHelioselfHelioself, the second album by Papas Fritas, was released in the spring of 1997. According to the band's website, "Helioself is the name of the mythical Sun-Ra sessions that were so powerful .....
(1997) - Buildings and GroundsBuildings and GroundsBuildings and Grounds is the third and final studio album by Papas Fritas, released stateside on Minty Fresh in March 2000. In Australia it was distributed by local label Half a Cow, their first release of a non-Aussie album since Bettie Serveert's Palomine five years earlier.- Track listing...
(2000) - Pop Has Freed UsPop Has Freed UsPop Has Freed Us, a compilation/career retrospective by Papas Fritas, contains eight songs from their studio albums and nine rarities, and comes with a DVD featuring three music videos...
(2003; compilation)
Singles
- Friday Night (1994; 7" format only)
- Passion Play (1995; released as both a 7" and an EP)
- Wild Life/Afterall (1995)
- Hey Hey You Say (1997)
- Vertical Lives (2000, Belgium)
- Far From an Answer (2000, Australia)
External links
- Official site
- Papas Fritas on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...