Pandemonium Handshake "Roadtrip" (Gritoshout)
Add Date: 11/7/2023
Release Date: 11/1/2023
FCC: Clean
Formats: NACC Top 200, Non-Comm AAA, Submodern Specialty
Focus Tracks: On My TV, Beat On & Roadtrip
RIYL: Smash Mouth, Cake & The Tragically Hip
A rockin ROADTRIP of satirical fun!
Debut album by PANDEMONIUM HANDSHAKE!
The inaugural Pandemonium Handshake album, Roadtrip, is a fun rockin journey through 8 quirky, campy songs humming with raw, warm, rock n roll energy. LA Based singer, writer multi instrumentalist Richard Wheeler had a clear goal to make a “zero boredom” record and this one rolls on through swiftly like a ready made soundtrack, song to song drenched in tongue and cheek sarcasm and fuzzy electric guitars. Roadtrip is tanked and set for release October 2023 on all digital platforms (CDBABY Distro) Vroom Vroom!
It sounds live, but Roadtrip was actually multi-tracked over almost a year between LA and Pensacola by Richard Wheeler and some special guests. Wheeler wrote most of the songs with some collaborative help and was also the co producer. He is the singer and also played electric guitar, bass, and keys on the record. The drums were tracked remotely in different long distance sessions by Matthew Prince and Mike Morobitto. Singer, Rapper and friend George Ros brings some urban grit on backing vocals on a couple of tracks. And giving Roadtrip an LA sonic stamp were producer Nick Flynt and mix engineer Joel Hellman.
Roadtrip’s first stop is the opener “On My TV”, a melodic rock tune that points a sarcastic critique at fraudster pundits and other charlatans who are “on my TV” and “don’t give a damn about me”. This is the first of several anthems on the album and also the inspiration for the first soon to be released video clip. But it is only a very quick warm up cause the next stop on this Roadtrip is a head bobbing party titled “Beat On”!
“Everyone together”, the chorus screams! After a pause the beat drops. “Beat On” immediately cascades into a hard rock hip hop groove with a heavy funky chorus in rhythmic chants “you touch you feel you grab the wheel Diggity dog you love the leather”. If the lyrics seem insane and non sensical it is by design. Richard Wheeler explains the song is “making fun of having fun while having fun” and it is about “cross culture unity through music- specifically through drums!” Hip hopper George Ros, brings a strong, over the top urbane edge to the song.
This roadtrip continues across an expansive rock terrain in catchy, rocking anthems and then eventually comes to the title track. “Roadtrip” brings back George Ros for more of the hip hop rock blend. The lyric “Call the friends fly the coop loop de loop right outta tha town” pretty much summarizes the spirit of the song and the entire album. But this Roadtrip within the roadtrip goes from quirky, fun, and free to almost surreal as it fades with a counting down of mile markers. “Mile marker number 12-twelve, Digging on a road trip, Number 35- thirty-five we’re still alive Digging on a road trip, Number 46- forty-six straight from the Hip” This was a fitting song for the title track as Richard Wheeler explains, “the song is about my musical re-birth with this record following a long break, and driving back to finish it, …. chronicled by "Mile Markers" from start to finish. YES- IT'S A ROAD MAP!”