Three years after the release of their first record, Minneapolis favorites have finally released their sophomore album, ‘Now Playing at the One-Seat Theatre’. It should come to no surprise that it’s taken them as long as it has to complete this new record. Things have changed a good bit in the past number of years for these guys as they’ve had some obstacles to overcome.

Shortly after their debut album, the oh so powerful counsel of Olympics made them change their name from The Olympic Hopefuls to simply, The Hopefuls.  Then, as the success of Erik Applewick’s band, Tapes ‘n Tapes, started to grow the choice was made and he left The Hopefuls to focus on his own project. And let’s not forget that lead singer, Darren Jackson, has been busy with his other busy band, Kid Dakota. Beyond that, several other members have children to raise and jobs to tend to. Not to worry though, fans of their first record are sure to be pleased with their follow-up.

The bottom line is, there’s a good chance The Hopefuls might make, like, a gazillion dollars or so with this new record of theirs.  It starts off with the powerfully poppy song ‘Edge of Medicine’ which seems to be about pill poppin’ and feelin’ good. Definitely Weezer influenced thru and thru. In fact, the entire album mirrors the Weezer influence. I tend to enjoy Weezer myself; however, this record has an atmospheric feel to it which is somewhat interesting and redeeming. Since Applewick left the band, keytar player and vocalist John Hermanson (also in the band Storyhill), has filled the gap by writing and singing several tracks, including the albums highlight song, ‘Stacey’, which is, of course, equally as poppy as the rest (the frickin’ song has been in my head for days on end, usually the sign of a good pop hit).

The ironic thing about these guys is the first time I heard this new record I told a friend that their music would be fitting for The O.C. Then, when I did some research on these kids, I found out that they’ve actually had their music on that show. No baloney, an altogether true story. I’m not gonna lie when I say that when I listen to this new record I get the urge to pull my old skateboard outta my closet, bleach my hair blonde and move to SoCal. The whole album is a little too perfect for my taste but I’m just one man. For those of you teenyboppers out there, look no further. The whole package is 11 songs with catchy melodies and enough vocal harmonies to go around for everyone.

Oftentimes when listening to an album, I listen for one song with an amazing hook or stellar beat and work backward, trying to give the rest of the album a shape in my head around that one singular hook or beat, using it as a measuring stick for the rest of the songs. If the one songs sticks out too much against the rest I usually decide it’s maybe just a fair album; if it’s just the best song in a batch of great songs, I usually decide I have just listened to a pretty good to excellent album. No such luck finding just one great hook on Now Playing at the One-Seat Theatre; there are too many to choose from, too many that get stuck on a loop in my head for hours or even days on end. This album seeped into my grey matter like that giant earwig in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Kahn; Now Playing provoked far less screaming, however. It’s one of the most front-to-back enjoyable power-pop albums I have heard in years–probably since The New Pornographers’ Twin Cinema.

It’s been a long wait for The Hopefuls’ second album. During the three-year interim they, among other things, were threatened with litigation by the IOC for use of the word “Olympic” in their former moniker, all recorded at least one album with another band (Kid Dakota, N*E*R*D*, et al.) and guitarist Erik Appelwick departed to play with Tapes ‘n Tapes on a full-time basis. Somehow though, the giddy, shimmery, unabashed pop sound stayed the course and got into better shape (i.e. leaner and stronger with more stamina), and is now looking to take on any and all comers from the local circuit or elsewhere.

There is nothing inherently special about The Hopefuls’ sound. There are no grinding guitars, angular riffs or chunky, galloping basslines; but if tight, well-rounded, slightly sugary pop songs with great lyrics and even better hooks were kryptonite, Superman wouldn’t stand a chance. Last year, local outfit (and The Hopefuls’ labelmates) Aviette released a breakup album that was as heartbreaking to listen to as almost any I have encountered. On Now Playing, however, I found myself wishing for an increasingly awful, more horrible story to come next as it would almost surely mean another sparkling gem of a song. “Red Stain,” which is about lead singer/guitarist Darren Jackson’s heart literally being torn from his chest cavity is one of the album’s standout tracks and arguably the most danceable. While dancing to lyrics like “There’s a red stain on my jacket/it doesn’t take much to imagine, does it?” may seem odd at first, after a couple of listens it will seem odd not to be doing so. After parting ways with a partner, you can choose to wallow and second guess or you can celebrate; neither is the wrong choice, but one is definitely more fun.

Where Aviette’s Holly Muñoz decided to look back and dissect the minutiae of her failed relationship, here Jackson seems to have decided to give the mystery woman a giant middle finger and walk away as unscathed as a person can be by a bitter breakup; he seems to have faired only slightly better than “I’m doing OK.” You might feel a bit guilty when you find yourself enjoying this record at first, but by the end you’re sure to be secretly (or not so) wishing for Jackson to be involved in another soon-to-be-disastrous relationship. I hate to root for heartbreak, but when the result is an album as compulsively listenable as this one, I don’t really see how I have any other choice.

"Now Playing at the One-Seat Theatre" is finally available on iTunes. If you purchase the record there please leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Thanks,
The Hopefuls

The Hopefuls come out the other end of an Olympian endurance marathon sounding as cheery as on their first album.

Even after running out of the gate with a golden 2004 debut album, the Hopefuls had plenty of reason to lose hope over the past four years.

First came the legal threat from the U.S. Olympic Committee that forced them to drop their original moniker, the Olympic Hopefuls. The name change sort of necessitated a wardrobe change, from their matching athletic track suits (no big letdown there, the members say). Then there was the departure of one of the group's two leaders, Erik Appelwick, who left to join Tapes 'n Tapes full time. Last but not least, the band became mired in a contract dispute with the local label that put out its first album, 2024 Records.

The fact that they rode all that out and are finally issuing their second CD proves, as singer/guitarist Darren Jackson put it, that "the rewards outweigh everything else in this band."

Fans of the Hopefuls' debut, "The Fuse Refuses to Burn," will certainly feel rewarded upon hearing "Now Playing at the One-Seat Theatre," which the quartet will finally tout with a release party Saturday at First Avenue.

The sophomore effort is as infectious and candy-striped as the first incarnation of the band's blissful, Weezer-meets-Cheap Trick rock 'n' roll. But this one's also a lot more refined and ambitious, both lyrically and sonically. It's simply a bigger record all around. Take all the symbolism you can find in the fact that there's more synthesizer on it, if you can believe it. Eat your heart out, Ric Ocasek.

"We were a lot less knowledgeable and, really, a lot less serious when we made the first record," said Jackson, who formed the group with Appelwick in 2003 when they were known only from their other bands, Kid Dakota and Vicious Vicious, respectively.

"Back then, it was sort of like, 'Well, let's finish these songs and see what happens.' This one, we had something to live up to. Plus, we had way more time and know-how."

The other Hopefuls -- singer/keyboardist John Hermanson (of Storyhill and Alva Star notoriety), bassist Heath Henjum (Beatifics) and drummer Eric Fawcett (Spymob) -- credit Jackson for steering the ship through rough waters and the band members' individual schedules. Much of the recording was done at Jackson's home studio. Not once were all four band members in the studio together.

"We're all so busy, it was the only way to get it done," said Fawcett, who, like Hermanson, is a dad and works nearly full time crafting music for commercials.

"We all had creative input on the record, but it was really Darren who made it all fit together. He was Mission Control. And in this band, where we all know each other well and trust each other, we're able to work that way. There's not a lot of the 'more me' element that plagues other bands."

There is more of Hermanson on the new record. He sings three of the 11 tracks -- not as much as Appelwick contributed, but his songs sound interchangeable with Jackson's. One of them, "Stacey," is the poppiest, giddiest track on the record, proving he had no trouble fitting the Hopefuls mode.

"I was eager to contribute more," said Hermanson, who had started writing with the band even before Appelwick quit. "One of the big motivations that has kept this band going is there's never a shortage of material. We have, like, 30 new songs, enough for a triple album."

Jackson has the best contributions on this record, even with a vibrant Kid Dakota CD already to his credit this year ("A Winner's Shadow"). "Red Stain," about a mysteriously blotted jacket, gives new meaning to heart-on-sleeve rockdom. "On the Edge of Medicine," inspired by Olympic athlete doping scandals, is as catchy as anything you've heard this year despite its dark undertones. And "One-Seat Theatre" slowly builds into a swirling, cinematic epic, showing that the Hopefuls are not just about three-minute pop ditties.

"No matter what happened or how long it took, the important thing is I think we've grown into a better band in that time," Jackson summarized. "It's still a lot of fun playing with these guys. If it wasn't, we probably would've already moved on."

3 Minutes, 49 Seconds
Album reviews from a music addict, to be read at maximum volume
by Paul Allen

Now Playing At The One-Seat Theatre, the long-awaited second album from Twin Cities power pop super-group The Hopefuls, has a couple of repeating motifs. One is the closing instrumental track that echoes the title track. The other is a rousing coda that ends the album's opening and penultimate songs. In both, songwriters Darren Jackson and John Hermanson shout: "It was a long way back / And we almost made it."

At first it seems like a meaningless phrase, but with some context, it comes into focus. See, after the 2004 release of The Fuses Refuse To Burn, The Hopefuls (The Olympic Hopefuls before the litigious I.O.C. got involved) had plenty of reasons to fulfill their own moniker. They had a cracking live show, songs catchier than chicken pox, and national exposure (on The O.C.). But then things got rough.

Erik Appelwick, who wrote and sang half of the songs on the band's debut, left the band in 2006 to be in a band that has exceeded its local fame, Tapes 'n Tapes. This threw The Hopefuls' future into question. Guitarist and leader Jackson kept the group alive as a performing entity, with keyboardist Hermanson, a talented singer and songwriter in his own right, taking a bigger role. However, the longer the band went without releasing a promised second album, the harder it was to stay, well, hopeful that they'd continue on.

Thankfully the fuse never completely went out. After a wait the same as the interval between Olympics we finally have Now Playing at the One-Seat Theatre. Any worries that the loss of Appelwick and the long layoff would kill the magic are immediately assuaged once the keytar kicks off the album's infectious opening song, The Edge of Medicine. It's one of four songs on Now Playing... that the band have been performing live for at least the last three years (the others are Idaho, Red Stain, and Hold Your Own), and I'm thrilled to have it on disc. On first blush the lyrics seem to concern our Prozac nation, but further evidence points to steroids as its true subject. Witness the lines: "We are fast / We are strong / But we won't be here for long / So let's set a record they could never break."

Idaho is a break-up song, a Jackson specialty. It's also as musically joyous as anything you'll hear in the new year. The song's narrator is clearly upset that his beloved is leaving for Idaho, but he's not going to chase her, for a variety of reasons: 1) he doesn't know how to get there, 2) gas is too expensive, 3) he can't breathe the thin air of the Rocky Mountains, and 4) he knows she doesn't even like him.

The pleading Miss You concerns a narrator with similar problems: "We'll hide it inside a box so I can pretend that it's not real / And for awhile believe you feel the same way you used to feel / And any minute you'll walk in the door and throw your arms around my neck / Or maybe it will be ice cold hands that want to strangle me to death." Musically the song sounds marries power pop to Motown. The "baby come home" backing vocals are an inspired touch, as is Jackson's Prince-ly falsetto on the song's final minute.

Red Stain concerns, well, a stain on a jacket. At first the narrator entertains notions that it might be wine or pen ink, but eventually reveals that it is in fact the spot where his girl ripped his heart out by telling him they were through. A cutting guitar lick accentuates this gruesomely thrilling tale.

But the mack daddy of this album's break-up songs is the sweepingly dramatic One-Seat Theatre. Here, Jackson skillfully employs a song-length metaphor wherein the song's hero imagines life as a movie and realizes his romance with the leading lady wasn't worthy of screen-time. "The scene distracted from the action / Your version has all the edits," he tells his former love, "But I'm stuck with the director's cut." As the song erupts into a final keyboard-driven outro, Jackson provides the album's title: "Now playing at the one-seat theatre / A film called Love Without a Future."

Lest you get the wrong idea, the album isn't all gloom. In fact Virgin Wood is the band's most unabashed love song since Drain the Sea. Goaded on by the excellent drums of Eric Fawcett, Jackson tells the tale of a couple who sneak into the forest to consummate their love. It sounds a little uncomfortable, but Jackson perfectly captures the passion of young love. As the song winds down things heat up: "So let it burn / out of control / Just like a fire fueled with gas / And dance around / Until we fall into a heap of human ash."

Jackson's contributions are rounded out by What She Wants, a brief stomper about a demanding woman, and the aforementioned instrumental closer Love Without A Future (The Director's Cut). The latter feels like the album's only unnecessary moment.

John Hermanson contributes too. Anyone familiar with Storyhill or Alvastar knows he can write a pop song, but he goes ahead and proves it anyway with Stacey, Only Dreaming, and Hold Your Own. Stacey is the best of the three, a buzzy, ambiguous ode to a faithful girl from a faithless guy, I think. Only Dreaming also fails to provide much clarity, but the multiple hooks (guitar, keys, glockenspiel, chorus) help one to happily ignore that fact. Hold Your Own is a catchy marching singalong that, as I mentioned before, morphs into an echo of The Edge of Medicine's closing moments ("It was a long way back / And we almost made it").

It's natural to wonder what this second album might have sounded like if Erik Appelwick had been involved beyond his cowriting credit on Hold Your Own and his guitar part on The Edge of Medicine. His Tapes 'n Tapes gig may pay the bills but it doesn't sufficiently display his talent (see the first Hopefuls album or any of his three Vicious Vicious discs for details). Plus, before he quit The Hopefuls, the band performed an unrecorded song about Lynda Carter (a.k.a. Wonder Woman). I still hold out hope that it'll one day see wax, plastic, or compressed data file.

But honestly, I can't imagine the album being much better than it already is, and that's a testament especially to Darren Jackson. The Hopefuls definitely took the long way back, but I think they sell themselves a bit short. They didn't almost make it. They went all the way.

Grade: A
Fave Song: One-Seat Theatre / Virgin Wood (tie)

Our new album, "Now Playing at the One-Seat Theatre", is the CD of the week on 89.3, The Current. What this means is that they will send you a copy of the record if you make a contribution of $120 ($10/month). Support The Current and local music by making a contribution here today.

Hey, here are some of the fantastic posters that Adam Turman has crafted for us... Check out his website http://www.adamturman.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love, The Hopefuls

 

Rupert Matthew Pederson II

“Yeah, I am a mortgage broker,” states the mystery-dancer-guy.  His name is Rupert Matthew Pederson II.  Or as we fondly call him, “Rupe-the-Great-Scandinavian-Hope.”   “I spend my days slinging loans and dollars for other people. Chained to a desk, answering to someone else, getting lost in the daily shuffle. Oh, that ridiculous grind. I’m pretty damn good at it though.”

After a co-worker accidentally left a Hopefuls CD on his desk, Rupert’s life would change forever.  Or as he tells it one fateful night, “One listen and I was hooked.  It was so infectious and inspiring. It punched me square in the gut.”

On March 26, 2005, it was a head-on collision for Pederson and the Hopefuls at their 1st Avenue debut, “I had just gotten out of a brutal closing for a home purchase and the client was not so cool. Frustrated, I headed straight downtown, still in my work clothes. Once they hit the stage…the guitars, the lights, the track suits… I just couldn’t contain myself. I couldn’t stand it.”

Within minutes…a dancer was born.

Rupe rushed the stage.  “I had this out of body experience. Before I knew it, I was up there with the band giving it absolutely everything I had. I’m talking 117Maybe even 143nbsp; It totally rocked my world!  And The Hopefuls didn’t stop me. I had unknowingly kicked them in the teeth and I think they liked it. Or at least, I hope so.”

Rupert had never really flexed his boogie muscle before, not even school dances or family weddings. But from that day forward, Rupe danced.

“If you don’t move to this music, you have no pulse, no soul. I mean, how can you not want to just shake it to the ground, hang your heart out there and let go.” In Rupe's own mild-mannered words, "Nothing makes me happier than the Hopefuls music. I love it. I love them…like a brother."


Statistics:
Nickname: Rupe
Favorite Song:  Let's Go
Food:  Chicken Quesidillas
Drink:  Lipton’s Ice Tea (unsweetened w/lemon)
Hobbies: Squash, Kickball and Reading
Highlights:  My grandma recognized me on Kare 11’s Whatever Show
Appearances to date:  1st Ave, Taste of MN, Basilica Block Party, MN Zoo, 400 Bar and MN State Fair.