Rockin' 101 is looking for new material
from bands for Minnesota Homegrown. You can also email Tim Ryan the
location of your CD quality mp3 file to
tim@rockin101.com. Submit you
material to:
ROCKIN' 101 MINNESOTA HOMEGROWN
Attn: Tim Ryan
PO Box 366
1010 2nd Street North
Sauk Rapids, MN 56379
Minnesota has a TON of very talented bands. Every month Minnesota
Homegrown will highlight one of those local favorites. As music fans
who support the local music scene, simply vote for one of the five choices
in the right hand column. You can vote ONCE PER DAY.
The band who has the most votes during the month will kick off Minnesota
Homegrown for every show of that month. We'll also highlight the
band right here at Rockin101 - dot - com.
Top non-winning band will carry though to the next month's voting.
NOTE: Bands can only carry over one month.
Qualified band should have enough material for a month of airplay on
Minnesota Homegrown / or approximately three or more radio-friendly tracks
for airplay.
PLAYLIST
January 16, 2021
Fuzzrd "Razor" (Artist of the Year 2021)
Red Desert "Free Your Mind"
Buzzard "Fists Of Thunder"
Dearly Departed "Torn In Two"
Dreams Aside "Waiting"
(BREAK)
Jeff Engholm "Believe In Yourself"
Brian David Band "Boomerang"
Telestela "Avalanche"
Electric Anthem "Glamour"
Nectarous "Down The Rabbit Hole"
(BREAK)
Blue Felix "Trouble"
9th Planet Out "Don't Let It Fall" (feat. Brandon
Saller of Atreyu)
Fire fight "Identity"
2021 ARTIST OF THE YEAR
FUZZRD
Brett Petrusek - Lead Vocals / Lead Guitars
Robert Berg - Bass and Background Vocals
Eric Fairchild - Lead Guitars / Background Vocals
Scott Savage - Drums
The Minneapolis band has a knack for documenting searing personal
experiences, strapping them to turbo-charged guitar riffs, and creating
kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll in the process.
They make no attempt to hide the scars acquired on the journey. But rather
than dwell on darkness and fury, FuZZrd focuses their energy on hard-won
lessons and glimmers of hope. The result? Tales of obsession, devotion,
and redemption – all sung from the crater of a live volcano.
And there’s room for some humor too. Asked about the band name (pronounced
“FUZZ-erd”), lead vocalist/guitarist Brett Petrusek laughs and turns
evasive: “It has six letters, just like the six knobs on an old Marshall
amp. It’s actually kinda goofy, but we all need some goofy right now.”
All kidding aside, Petrusek and his three bandmates – bassist/vocalist
Robert Berg, guitarist/vocalist Eric Fairchild and drummer Scott Savage –
get down to serious business as soon as the amps are warmed up and ready
to roar.
Introspection Fuels Detonation
First single “Monster Carnival” sets the tone, opening innocently enough
with Petrusek’s solitary EQ-squeezed guitar riff. And then all hell breaks
loose. “It’s about struggling with debauchery,” Petrusek says. “You can be
a pretty happy-go-lucky dude but sometimes you find yourself in a very
dark place, like you’re turning into a werewolf. This song is about
finding somebody who recognizes your dark side and embraces you for it.”
The pulverizing vibe continues on standout tracks like “Razor” and the
anthemic “Life Turned Black.” “Viral Connection” features Mark Slaughter
providing guest vocals, a healthy dose of guitar ear candy throughout and
an outro solo on a song that Petrusek dryly describes as “a dark, twisted
little snapshot about retrospectively looking back at your first love.”
The soul-baring approach reaches a peak on “Demons,” Petrusek’s
gut-wrenching account of learning about the father he had never known. “I
recently found my brother, who I never knew I had. We talked and in 35
minutes I learned more about my dad than I had ever known before.” You can
hear the sheer emotion in Petrusek’s vocal, recorded on the first — and
only — take.
“I’ve become a lot more comfortable letting out my personal thoughts and
not second-guessing myself. Being my own therapist and putting it into
words. Tapping into the stories that already exist – that’s what makes it
more real, more genuine.”
Berg sums it up a bit differently: “You get these catchy, sing-a-long
choruses, but the lyrics are pretty stark and disturbing,” he laughs. “If
Black Sabbath and Motörhead took Bon Jovi
and Def Leppard, rolled them into a joint and smoked it today, you’d be in
a cloud of FuZZrd.”
Contrasts Build Stronger Connections
FuZZrd’s evolution is a straightforward tale. Petrusek and Berg had played
together for years in the well-regarded Minneapolis hard rock outfit
Downtread, recording three albums and playing a bunch of high profile
shows throughout the Midwest. Looking to explore a more organic,
stripped-down sound they connected with kindred spirits Fairchild (2021)
and Savage (from Minneapolis stalwarts Crashmatic) in late 2019.The rhythm
section quickly dialed-in a lean, less-is-more symbiosis between Berg and
Savage.
The chemistry was instantaneous, starting with the interaction of the two
guitarists.
“In this band there’s a yin/yang chemistry,” explains Berg. “In some other
bands there isn’t much yin to the yang. But with this group we have a lot
more open space to take liberties.”
FuZZrd benefits from contrasting styles that seem to mesh pretty damn
well. “I’m not a metal drummer,” Savage admits. “I’m actually a groove
drummer, and I’ve always been interested in serving the song, rather than
showing my chops. I’m a huge fan of Prince, R&B and Cheap Trick. It was a
big change for Brett because he was used to borderline out-of-control
metal.”
Prepare to Launch
The four members were ready to unleash the beast in 2020, but then
COVID-19 intervened. Amid the crucible of 2020, the band was determined
not to let a pandemic go to waste. FuZZrd decided to record their new
tracks with producer/engineer Jeremy Tappero, who has made countless
records in Minneapolis and is best known for his recent work with Soul
Asylum (and a longtime ally and collaborator of Petrusek and Berg from
their days in Downtread).
They’re stoked about the work-in-progress. “We’re all having so much fun
with it,” says Savage. “I hate to say we’re taking advantage of the
pandemic, but the down time has really been important for the band’s
chemistry. This is a different way of doing a band. We haven’t even played
a show yet! But we’re really loving what we’ve got.”
2021 marks an inflection point for FuZZrd and all the rest of us. A chance
to rip off old bandages, turn the page, and confront what’s really
important in life. You might as well find a soundtrack that perfectly
captures the moment…and crank it up damn loud.
