Friday, March 27, 2026

Famous Groupies - One Need Leads


I'm new to this band, which, at least per their webpage, appears to be the work of a Scottish singer/songwriter named Kirkcaldy McKenzie and various friends & family members, performing songs ostensibly written decades ago by McKenzie's grandfather. Hard to say how much of the bio is just tongue-in-cheek, but regardless, the music is pretty damn delightful, and they've instantly become a favorite of mine.
The band name presumably derives from the Paul McCartney & Wings song, and it pretty much gives up the game--their 4 albums, and this one in particular, are pure McCartney homage/pastiche. It's endearing 70s-styled pop, ridiculously tuneful and lighthearted, unpretentious piano and guitar-driven baroque pop, dripping with charm. The songs conjure not just Sir Paul, but other like-minded artists ranging from Emitt Rhodes to Beagle Hat to the Dukes of Stratosphear. Some of the hooks are pulled straight out of the McCartney catalog: opener "One Trick Pony" recalls "Getting Closer," "Bombs Away" cribs from "Mrs. Vanderbilt," "Big Bam Wigwam" borrows the "Helen Wheels" riff, and so on. So, yeah, you can have a lot of fun just playing spot-the-influence; but the album is great fun even if you're less intimately familiar with every Wings deep cut.  From: https://www.jitterywhiteguymusic.com/2022/04/famous-groupies-furry-white-album-2020.html