Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 19, 1993 TAG: 9304170235
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
If anything, Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford are the anti-Lemonheads, the anti-alternative. Face it, Regis and Kathie Lee are about as mainstream as it gets.
But when you're making it, everyone wants a piece of you, even television talkshows that cater to the 30-something crowd.
And there are aspects of the Lemonheads that would appeal to those who grew up watching "The Graduate" or listening to Mike Nesmith.
They play a harder, punked-up version of "A Different Drum," for instance.
They take on "Frank Mills" from the rock musical "Hair." And for the 25th anniversary of "The Graduate," the Lemonheads concocted a cover of a "Mrs. Robinson" that has gotten airplay everywhere.
"Doing covers is just something I can't really resist at this point," the 25-year-old Dando said recently.
Although playing weird covers has become one of the Boston group's trademarks, the original songs with their peppy guitar licks are getting airplay, too.
College Music Journal named the group's "It's a shame about Ray" the album of the year. And Lemonhead videos are in a regular rotation on MTV.
The only original member of the 7-year-old Lemonheads, Dando still isn't sure what to make of his success.
"It's too much sometimes," he said in a news release from Atlantic Records. "But I love to sing and hang out. I really love writing songs and singing, so it's a really nice job I've found, and it's really good fun."
Songs from the last album were co-written by Dando's friend Tom Morgan. The title track, for instance, came about when the two were in Australia.
"I was . . . hanging out with guys who call everyone Ray, as in, `Ow ya doin', Ray?' " Dando said.
"One morning, we were reading the paper and [Morgan] brought to my attention this story about a kid who couldn't stay in school or something, and it said in the last paragraph, `It's a shame about Ray.' We just freaked about it. So we decided to write a song based around the title."
The album includes vocals by Juliana Hatfield, former singer-bassist for the Blake Babies with the distinctive child-like voice.
But on tour, Dando is joined by long-time pal Nic Dalton on bass and drummer David Ryan.
Sloan and Low Pop Suicide will open for the Lemonheads tonight.
The Lemonheads play tonight at 8 in Virginia Tech's Commonwealth Ballroom, Squires Student Center. $10 for the general public.
by CNB