Sizing up Size 14
Lead singer Linus makes no apologies; his band, Size 14, has a sense of humor and it’s not afraid to use it.
“I think we’re a little different and a little above being considered a novelty act,” Linus said recently of the Hollywood, Calif.-based group’s tongue-in-cheek obsession song “Claire Danes Poster.” “We’re more than just funny; we’re honest, rather than pulling things out of the air and trying to make people laugh. It’s also very melodic.”
True enough, but reality is stranger (and funnier) than fiction on Size 14’s self-titled debut Freeworld Recordings album. There’s “Claire Danes Poster” – “I’m going to pick up some beer, stay at home and stare at my Claire Danes poster” – and “Formula Guy,” “Sleeping in the Wet Spot,” “People Get Really Drunk in Las Vegas” and “I Touched Her Ass.” And it doesn’t get any more comical than the album’s closer, “Jimmy Whalen,” an actual answering machine message from Linus’ friend.
“It’s totally for real,” Linus said. “I love to listen to my answering machine, because he’s just too damn funny. I thought that one would fit in with the rest of the record, mentioning all the elements of Hollywood, so it was perfect.”
Also perfect was Size 14’s collaboration with Daryl Dragon of The Captain & Tennille, who contributes his Moog synthesizer on five songs.
“The Captain is the hippest thing going,” Linus said. “He’s a pop legend. … Anyway, he owns the studio where we recorded this and he came in to help set some keyboards. We started playing something and said, ‘Why don’t you play this part?’ And he said okay. We didn’t have the vocals down yet, so I don’t think he really knew what we were singing about. He was on the ‘Mark & Brian Show’ the other day, and I called in and said, ‘I can’t believe you played on a song called ‘I Touched Her Ass.’ He didn’t know what he was doing, but he was pretty cool.”
Dragon even joined Size 14 – Linus, Kevin Danczak (guitar), Robt Ptak (bass) and Dave Armstrong (drums) – for a whole set Oct. 16 at the Dragonfly in Los Angeles.
BWF (before we forget): Try on Size 14 on the Web @ www.size14.com or send e-mail to [email protected].
About the Author
Gerry Galipault Gerry Galipault debuted Pause & Play online in October 1997. Since then, it has become the definitive place for CD-release dates — with a worldwide audience.
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