Frankie Teardrop – Referred by Platinum Boys
America’s Most Underrated features local bands from across the country that deserve widespread recognition. Each band is handpicked by the previous column’s highlighted artist to create a collective of underrated bands chosen by underrated bands.
There are three types of bands in the world: Those that settle on the opportunities that come to them locally, those that stumble upon a manager or label that propels their career, and those that work diligently to spread their art as far as possible by making their own luck. Jordan Bleau, the man behind Minneapolis’ Frankie Teardrop, falls into the latter.
Like so many greats before him, Bleau started Frankie Teardrop as a solo project in his bedroom. Within a year and a half, Bleau singlehandedly recorded two EPs and a couple of singles, and he is in the process of releasing a split with Designer. If that’s not enough, the band just finished recording their first 16-track full-length. To add to the madness, Bleau also co-founded No Problem Records, which features artists like Teenage Moods, VATS, Suzie, Dee Dee Mayo, and, of course, Frankie Teardrop.
Frankie Teardrop is like the comfort food of underground rock and roll, containing all the ingredients needed to make something hearty and interesting while remaining accessible. A hint of punk, a dash of melodic pop, and a whole lot of shredding make Frankie Teardrop the perfect soundtrack to kick off your summer adventures or to just sit on your couch doing absolutely nothing.
Despite basically being a Minneapolis music superhero, Bleau is just a humble human trying to make it through life like the rest of us. On the No Problem site, Frankie Teardrop puts it best in his own words: “Sometimes I talk about drug abuse, the impossibility of relating to humans in a fucked up world, being fucked up myself, and whether or not love is real and how that feels. I talk about other shit too, like taking a good hard look in the fucking mirror. Do that before you come to one of my shows and then let all that shit go when you get there.”
Thanks to a referral from Platinum Boys, we got the opportunity to talk with Frankie Teardrop’s Bleau about the band’s creation, the music scene in Minneapolis, and his exclusive love of Chicago bands.
Allston Pudding: How did Frankie Teardrop form?
Jordan Bleau: I recorded a tape by myself in about a week and realized I couldn’t play all the instruments at the same time if I wanted to play live (bummer) so I asked my friends Jack and Gunnar to play with me. We played a house show and a show at this super dope shitty dive bar that no one plays, both with this band Howler from here, and were promptly dubbed “the next big thing” to come out of Minneapolis.
AP: You were referred to us by Platinum Boys out of Milwaukee. Have you ever heard of the band before?
JB: Absolutely. That song “Candy” is the dopest rock and roll song I’ve heard in the last year.
AP: What do you think of their music?
JB: What I like about that band is that they rock. They just rock super hard and they’re always really stoked. We played a really great show in Wisconsin with them. I just like to picture them really jacked on meth all the time screaming out of a convertible at nothing in particular.
AP: Your band name is the same as a single off of Suicide’s self-titled debut. Was that intentional? Is the band an influence?
JB: Yeah it was super intentional. I thought at the time that the character in the song, Frankie, would work as sort of a creative lens to write through. I don’t know. Whatever.
AP: You’ve released quite a bit of material since your start in late 2013, releasing two EPs and three singles, including one off your upcoming split with Designer. Can you tell me about your writing and recording process behind all of this material?
JB: On all of that stuff I wrote/played/recorded everything myself. It was a fairly solitary project. Just me in a practice space chain smoking and bashing parts out through shitty microphones and then agonizing over tiny production choices that no one will ever notice but me. I like working that way because I’m anxious, controlling, and an asshole. It’s tiring.
We just tracked 16 songs as a band, though, which is a relief because it takes some weight off my shoulders and is going to be cool, because I’m also probably the worst player in the band. Jack (bass), d. english (guitar) and Joey “Perfect Joey” Franklin are all great at what they do.
AP: I see you’re working with BUFU Records on the upcoming split. They’re key players out here in the Boston music scene. How’d you get connected with them?
JB: I met this dude Rory actually at the first show we played as a band. He drummed for Howler for a while and also for Designer. I don’t really know what to say about Rory. He’s taught me a lot about true friendship and conversely a lot about true darkness, as well.
Rory introduced me to Ben Katzman who runs BUFU, and in my limited interactions with Ben he seems to be a hardworking, charismatic dude who LOVES Kiss A LOT. He’s also got his very own type of slang, which I respect. That’s one reason I started Frankie Teardrop, actually. I wanted to fill the slang void in stupid rock music. Ben seems tight.
AP: How would you describe the music scene in Minneapolis?
JB: I don’t know. It’s probably like anywhere else. It seems like there’s sort of one community of bands centered around the public radio station and the alt-weeklies and then an underground house show warehouse space punk thing. The two are diametrically opposed. Then there’s a bunch of other stuff. I think I’m out of the loop. There are so many bands! Everyone is in a band everywhere.
There are some really great bands from here and I think Minneapolis sometimes gets overlooked or people think it’s a flyover state. There’s a ton of cool shit going on here and a lot of people who I respect a lot for their work ethic, their friendliness and willingness to help each other out, and their art. People have been super nice to us here for the most part and it’s a very welcoming environment to start a band. Shows are accessible and I haven’t really seen a lot of people be outright disrespectful or anything like that.
AP: What are some of your favorite local bands there?
JB: Right now Kitten Forever is my favorite. They shred the hardest. I also run a label with my good friend and amazing photographer/bike rider extraordinaire Alexander Uhrich called No Problem Records. We’ve put out tapes from Frankie T, Dee Dee Mayo (RIP), Suzie, VATS, Teenage Moods,Whatever Forever (I play bass in this band), d. english, Real Numbers, and Joey Joey Michaels. Those are pretty much my favorites I guess. We’ve been lucky to work with a bunch of stuff I really like.
Other than that – France Camp, Gloss, Pale Spectre, Waveless, The Pen Test, Bliss UK, The Miami Dolphins, Daisy Chains, Tree Blood. That’s all I can think of right now. I’m probably missing something.
AP: If someone were to visit Minneapolis for the first time, what would you recommend they do there?
JB: Get breakfast at Victor’s 1959, a dope Cuban cafe. Get lunch at Quang, a very dope place to eat pho. Get dinner at Namaste, a very tasty Nepalese/Indian restaurant or Taste of India, also a dope restaurant. I love eating at restaurants. Those are all pretty cheap too.
Come in the summer, ride bikes, go to a beach on a secluded lake super late at night. Drink a bunch of coffee. I don’t know. There are better people to ask. I don’t leave the house much. Say hi to me.
AP: What are some of your favorite local bands outside of the area? (Keep in mind that this is how the next band is chosen for the following column.)
JB: I love Chicago a lot. I wrote a song about it. There are some really cool bands there right now. The Sueves are probably my favorite. Pick them. I love that band. They rock. I also love The Lemons (another BUFU artist), Son of a Gun, The Rubs, Gross Pointe, The Morons, Slushy, Flesh Panthers, etc. I love Bric-a-Brac Records too. We’ve played there a couple of times. Not sure right now if I like anyone anywhere else.