If David Bowie, Queen and the Blood Brothers got in a horrible car accident and their musical talents, presences and entities completely meshed together, they would produce something beautiful known as Neon Blonde. Johnny Whitney (organ player and back up vocals for the Blood Brothers) along with Mark Gajadhar (drummer for the Blood Brothers) have teamed up to create a purely magical musical sensation, Neon Blonde. Neon Blonde’s Headlines EP, which debuted about two months ago, is only four tracks long, but gives the listener a taste of their unique and outrageous style. Released on Sept. 13, 2005, the new album entitled Chandeliers in the Savannah, is pretty much incomparable to the EP. You think you know Neon Blonde, but you have no idea. Having been a Blood Brothers fan for years, I was immediately attracted to this new side project of Whitney’s because I believe he adds the most flare to the Blood Brothers themselves and he has a voice to die for. Lucky for me, it’s not all screams and squeals but Johnny’s clear cut singing voice shines through in Neon Blonde, particularly in perhaps one of the best songs off the album, “Chandeliers and Vines.” This song has the most Bowie/Queen influence that can clearly be heard on the album. The other songs bond together that discordant punk-rock feel we all know and love, but add a more than pleasant zest of dancey-eletro-pop. Neon Blonde has created the new age of dance music. Irresistible keyboard notes and zippy dance beats fill this album up to its core. Some songs to take note of would be “Crystal Beaches Never Turned Me On,” “Headlines” (the remix is more fun than the original, but both are excellent) and “The Future is a Mesh Stallion.” I can barely sit still thinking about what they will come out with next. Johnny Whitney and Mark Gajadhar just never seem to run out of amazing ideas, do they? Seeing as how Neon Blonde hasn’t been placed in the spotlight as of yet, they are only playing a small number of shows with dates and locations few and far between. There arehigh hopes among Neon Blonde fans that they will do a U.S. tour, and cross your fingers that they make a stop in Philly! If I know Whitney, the performance will be that of a lifetime and you will not be disappointed.
For more information on upcoming tour dates, check out Neon Blonde’s info at www. myspace.com/neonblondebats. com. Show dates and locations will be posted periodically. Neon Blonde is, hands down, one of the most creative and imaginative bands to date and if they don’t strike your musical fancy they will at least leave you with a true definition of amazing.