Crocodiles

They spent the next 5 years crisscrossing the USA, playing in every nook and cranny, meeting and inspiring other like-minded freaks, and occasionally getting kicked by wild rednecks. Eventually the Plots imploded in a cloud of poverty and dependency. Once the dust had settled, Charlie and Brandon agreed to continue their collaboration. After a few years of experimenting with their songwriting (“Why can’t you mix ’60s pop with Deathrock?” they asked me once) and trying out various lineups and names, they thought they were ready. They kicked out the semi-committed clowns they were working with, replacing them with an old beat-up drum machine. They immediately set to work on the group of songs that would become the now classic noise-pop album “Summer Of Hate”.“I first met the duo of Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell about 25 years ago at a punk concert at a Mexican restaurant in San Diego. Having initially met at a local Anti-Racist Action meeting, the two discovered that their respective teenage bands were scheduled for the same night, and I found myself in one place chowing down on a burrito watching the birth of their eventually fruitful collaboration. Young Brandon watched in amazement as teenage Charlie climbed onto a confused family table and started playing the hell out of his low-budget guitar When his set was over, Charlie mingled back into the crowd and even found himself stunned when Brandon took to the “stage” (a floor) and began screaming, humming, howling and spitting for the allotted 20 minutes to his band. Once the noise was over, the two met, appreciated each other and, over a shared Coke, agreed to disband their respective bands and join forces. After a few missteps, the duo found their balance with the now almost legendary noise punk group The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower. Fast forward 15 years and find ourselves in the dystopian future of 2023. The previous decade and a half saw the duo change lineups (2, 5, 2 again, then 4), locations (San Diego, New York, Paris, Mexico City, London, Los Angeles), sound (art punk, psychedelia , lush ’60s-inspired pop, trashed-out glam) and hairstyles (good, bad, ugly). They released 7 LPs, several EPs and masses of singles and toured relentlessly, bringing their rock-n-roll to hungry fans in every corner of the globe. While lineups, locations and sounds have changed, Brandon and Charlie have never wavered from their initial mission to help each other escape a life of drudgery, boredom and expectations through music, art, friendship and adventure. They persevered their relationship through ups and downs, always together, always creating. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been interesting. Now, after the slowdown caused by the pandemic, the boys are back with their eighth album, “Upside Down In Heaven”, on Lolipop Records.

Maxime Smadja (Rixe, Boss) has been entrusted with production duties. Joining the party were Atef Aouadhi and Diego Dal Bon on bass and drums. In typical Crocodilian style, the album zigzags cohesively from one style to the next. There are straight-up punk-pop anthems (Love Beyond The Grave), mutant garage-rock (Surfing With Death), infectious fuzz-pop (Forever Walk Alone), dancefloor bangers (Deadbeat) and even hardcore death-rock (Rock Roll Graveyard). The songs are direct, get to the point and leave listeners hungry for more.