FDF Volume 1 Issue 7: For Squirrels - Example

Album - Example
Artist - For Squirrels
Key Players - John "Jack" Francis Vigilatura, IV - vocals
Travis Micheal Tooke - guitar
William Bradford White -bass
Thomas Jacob Griego Jnr - drums.
Producer - Nick Launay

Released - October 3, 1995 on Sony 550 Music

Overview - For Squirrels were a band from Florida. They recorded this record and hit the road to showcase some of it before it was released. After a gig at the legendary New York club CBGB the band was returing home. On route 95 in Georgia their van blew a tire and the van rolled over killing vocalist Jack Viglatura, bassist William White and the bands manager. Travis Tooke had broken his back and vowed to keep the band going. Travis Tooke and Jack Greigo regrouped under the name Subrosa with Tooke taking over on vocal, releasing their only album, Never Bet The Devil Your Head.

FDF Comments (the songs): 8:02 PM starts of pretty cheery with some guitar but the the wall of sound hits you and its one of those songs that you wonder how 4 guys could make this much of a sound. Before you know it you are rotating from the air guitar to the air drums. Orange worker shows a little of the softer side but its also one of those songs you really can hear John shine. The Mighty K.C. is a posthumous tribute to Kurt CobainSuperstar is a real barn burner shit stomping rocker that some lame American Idol contestant will one day cover and make me throw up in my mouth. The longest track on the cd is "Disenchanted" clocking just over 6:30. Its your standard lighter waving epic rock song of lost love but if there were any 2 songs I'd suggest to get you into the band it would be this and 8:02.

The tempo of the songs is good across the record. There is no 'quiet side' then 'loud side' they do a good job of trading the tracks up leaving you wondering where a song will go. Some songs hit a little harder than others but the vocal portions are very articulated. Its sometimes hard to understand what a rock singer is saying, and this is one of those few records you don't need liner notes to figure out what the heck he is saying.

Like most bands you can find some of their stuff up on the bands myspacepage.

Where are they now: As noted in the overview the band found a major tragedy early on forged on some, then broke it all off.

FDF Personal Comments - This was back pre internet so I'd use the printed media to guide me towards new music. I subsribed to (and still to this day do so) to CMJ New Music Monthly. In December of 1995 their issue came out with the cd sampler that it always did and on it was "this band". I played it for a co-worker and we both fell in love with it. Some local radio stations took a liking to Mighty K.C. and they got a little airplay here in Boston. It was always played then the tragic story told. How quick it ended.

FDF Overall take - Currently the cd not being printed but you can find it if you look. Its a hidden jem. Really top to bottom this is a great record. The song writing is strong and this was just a glimmer of potential for the band. Do yourself a favor and check this cd out, or blow the dust of your copy of it. Its a listen that has been a long time coming.