The Frampton Brothers

Ed Masley, leader of the Pittsburgh-based band the Frampton Brothers (none of whom, incidentally, are related by blood or happen to be named Frampton), may be the last great unheralded normal man in American rock. Masley writes songs about the annoyances and obsessions of a regular guy -- women, work, the passing parade of popular culture, and why he loves rock & roll (even though it often drives him nuts) -- that are smart without being pretentious, and witty without betraying the serious themes and honest emotions that lie underneath. Masley and his sometimes collaborator and lead guitarist Sean Lally also knows how to match his lyrics with sharp, hooky tunes that rock hard when they step on the gas. Masley (who, when he's not busy playing rock & roll, writes about it for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) formed the Frampton Brothers in the late '80s, with Masley singing lead and playing rhythm guitar, Lally on lead guitar, Dave Vandervoort on bass, and a drummer identified only as Someguy Doug. In 1991, the band released their first disc, I Am Curious (George), on the local Bogus label; former Scruffy the Cat frontman Charlie Chesterman produced, with Ben Vaughn stepping in behind the board for one cut. Two years later, Bill Haller had taken over as the group's drummer and they released their second full-length effort, Don't Fall Asleep...Horrible Things Will Happen; Chesterman returned as producer, with Conrad Uno taking over for three cuts. Bob Hoag replaced Haller for the group's 1994 EP, The Frampton Brothers Hate You, released on their own Bolt Remover label. While the band had built a loyal following in Pittsburgh and scattered spots along the East Coast, larger success eluded them and adopting a "more professional" attitude in hopes of boosting their popularity...