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Ideal Free Distribution, Ideal Free Distribution

by Kathryn Durfee
07/31/2007

Ideal Free Distribution was born in 1997, but they could easily have been part of the late 1960s London scene. This Kentucky three-piece inspired by the Beach Boys, Belle and Sebastian, and other psychedelic pop groups, has recently found a home with Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records here in Athens, Georgia.

This pop band is comprised of Eric Griffy on bass, electric guitar and percussion, Tony Miller on percussion and vocals, and Craig Morris on guitar, drums, percussion, mellotron, organ, piano, and synthesizers. Oh yeah, he sings, too. With three members and a plethora of instruments, Ideal Free Distribution has constructed a time machine that can transport listeners to a time when everything was groovy.

Their debut self-titled album was released in early 2007, though it is hard to believe it was recorded in the last decade. The album takes off with the first track, "Apples and Oranges," which sounds as if it could have been used in Mike Myers' Austin Powers trilogy. Lead singer Tony Miller's voice is clean and smooth giving the tracks a mellow feel, resembling late Beatles work such as "Across the Universe." "Saturday Drive" picks up the pace but doesn't stray from the generally happy lyrics, describing a sunny day with picnics and fun.

"Tropic of Cancer is another lazy, loungey song, which is why listeners are shocked out of the summer-day haze with the next track, "Someone's Gonna Die." The lyrics are somewhat hard to understand since Ideal Free Distribution stresses their music over words, but with lines like "they say that fighting makes us free ... when you see flags flying in the sky / you know that someone's gonna die," I can gather that it's political. This near-anthem charges forth to the following track, a companion piece of sorts entitled "The American Myth." This song features strong percussion with guitar riffs and sounds as though it was ripped from St. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Another political song, it could apply to both today's state of affairs or those of yesteryear.

The end of the album slows back down to the pace at which it began with "All That Once Was Wonderful" and "Red Letter Days," percussion-heavy pieces with a strong bass and trippy vocals.

Overall, Ideal Free Distribution has not only found the balance between fun and political songs, but has also successfully recalled the psychedelic feel of the late 1960s without sounding forced. Though many of the songs feature whimsical lyrics, those that are political are delivered in a mellow tone. There's nothing startling here; it's all pretty easy listening. My estimation is that listeners will be divided into two camps: those that love the retro feel and therefore gladly welcome Ideal Free Distribution into their collections, and those that maintain that the original psychedelic pop groups from the late 1960s are still the best and see no need for new hopefuls.

Ideal Free Distribution will be playing Popfest.

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