Rocktober Deep Cut Artist #9: The Fratellis

For the criteria for bands and artists to be considered "deep cut artists," click here.

Band or artist:  The Fratellis

Where from:  Scotland

Years active: 2005-2009, 2012-present

Number of studio albums:  4

Highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100:  N/A

Highest-charting studio album on the Billboard 200:  Costello Music (#48)

Perhaps best known for their song "Chelsea Dagger" -– the song played after the Chicago Blackhawks score a goal at home, and for you British Islanders, the song adopted by Celtic FC and played after Chelsea wins –- the Glaswegian trio The Fratellis burst onto the scene in 2006 with their debut album Costello Music.  It was a huge hit in the UK, going triple platinum, but its success was more muted here in the States, reaching #48 on the Billboard album charts.  Like The Ramones, the band adopted stage names with "Fratelli" as their last name –- taking their band name from the last name of the villains in The Goonies, although none of them named himself Mama Fratelli and, as far as I can tell, none of them is a malformed giant with a heart of gold.

For me, Costello Music is one of the best debut albums (and best albums period) of the last decade.  As I've described it before, it's got more hooks than a tackle box. The songs are, for the most part, perfectly crafted pop punk/garage rock/post-punk gems.  There isn't a bad song on the album, and they're all songs that should put you in a good mood, unless you're a real downer or something.

The band put out a follow up album in 2008, Here We Stand, which was also pretty good (although, honestly, not as good as Costello Music).  Unfortunately, the band broke up in 2009.  Lead singer John Fratelli did a side project, the loungey but fulfilling Codeine Velvet Club, and he released a solo album as well.  The Fratellis then reunited in 2012 and put out their third album, We Need Medicine, in 2013, and a fourth album, Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied, in 2015.  I have the former, but not the latter, which I should probably purchase at some point.

You've probably all heard "Chelsea Dagger," and know how awesome and catchy a song it is (if not, click on the link above for a listen), so I'm going to go with another of my favorite Fratellis songs.  It's "Baby Fratelli," also off of Costello Music.  The song hit #24 on the UK Top 40 -- the band's fourth Top 40 single in the UK off of the album.