Guitarmy Of One’s Recent Single, “Top Secret Agent Man on a Wire Tapped Phone at Sea” melds surf, spycraft, and punk vitality!
So I’m jamming out to this rad song, looking over the pictures of Guitarmyofone, and feeling like I know this dude, and then as I read through the bio, I realize that it’s “the punk” from Frenchy and the Punk, a great cabaret rock act here in NY. I first saw them sometime last year in Troy outside of a college with my wife. It was one of our first exposures to what the Hudson Valley music scene might be like. We then saw them again recently at The Colony in Woodstock, and they were even better than before, and that’s not just because of the Motorhead references.
Anyway with all that being said, I was eager to dive into this rad surf/spy song and video. Knowing Scott Helland’s hardcore and punk pedigree: Deepwound, Outpatients, School of Violence and DarksideNYC one might expect this to be punky surf a la Agent Orange, Moon Men from Mars or The Cramps, but it’s more akin to Dick Dale with just the right touch of spy-ishness like you’d expect in a movie featuring James Bond or Austin Powers or a TV show with Perry Mason or The Pink Panther. It’s a rad mixing of genres, and the narrative, silent (no talking) video that goes with it is just plain fun. It captures the mood and art of those detective and spy shows/movies back in the 60's and 70’s, particularly ones like the original Mission Impossible!
The song’s title, as well as its musicality, pays an homage to Johnny River’s song from the 60’s “Secret Agent Man” but mixed with surf, a Spanish guitar, and that punk essence that clings to everyone one of us that has come of age as a punk.
I could totally see myself with the windows down, driving down the hills and valleys jamming to this song and rest of the album, The Wave Files, that comes out on CD and digitally on 8/18 better yet, I need to catch this live. I missed them back in May when they played Tompkins Square Park with a band I love, Rebelmatic. But I’m going to keep an eye out for his next show. So far as I know the only things he has coming up are DragonCon 2023 in ATL from 9/1-9/3, and Unsteady Freddie’s Surf Rock Shindig in NYC on 10/7. Guess, I know where I’ll be on 10/7!
Listen, save and share “Top Secret Agent Man on a Wire Tapped Phone at See” on Spotify or check out the song other dope indie rock songs influences by punk rock on our Indie/Grunge/Garageband playlist
You can also check out his newest release:
Kolchak Meets the Sea Monster - It is obviously inspired by the old 1970’s television show: Kolchak the Night Stalker wherein the detective would investigate mysterious crimes with a supernatural twist. This song follows in the vein of “Top Secret Agent Man on a Wire Tapped Phone at Sea” by combining surf guitar with an ambience that would fit perfectly into a pulp detective show. It’s style is connected to and yet distinct to the prior song, but like a new episode or chapter builds off what came before only to add a new and unique spin to keep the fans engaged. I listened to this on repeat for the 20 minute drive to band practice last night, and never thought to skip it the whole ride. Good stuff indeed.
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