JUKEBOX: The Flat Five
Earlier this week, REBEAT brought you an interview with Casey McDonough, bassist and vocalist for Chicago super-group the Flat Five. While the Flat Five have introduced themselves onstage more than once as a band that selects cover songs based on how many times the lyrics include the word “groovy,” a quick glance at today’s playlist reveals that they’re much more eclectic than they let on. But whether they’re covering a jazz standard, a forgotten psych-pop gem, or a quirky indie country tune, the Flat Five make each song their own: slathered in four- or five-part harmonies and the infectious joy of friends making music together.
“Friends,” The Beach Boys
It takes a certain amount of bravery to cover a Beach Boys song live, but “Friends” is just one of the Beach Boys covers in the Flat Five’s arsenal. (In fact, just a few weeks ago, the band performed the entire Friends album.) “Friends” is a great showcase for Nora O’Connor and Kelly Hogan’s effortless vocal blend, and considering how long the band members have been working together, it’s no surprise that it makes a perfect opener for their sets.
“Treat Me Like A Lady,” Lesley Gore
A male singer taking the lead on a maudlin Lesley Gore girl power anthem? In the hands of a lesser band, this would be kitsch and nothing more. But Scott Ligon’s plaintive tenor gives unexpected weight to the song, and as always, Hogan and O’Connor’s backing vocals are stellar.
“I Found Love,” The Free Design
The Flat Five often introduce their Free Design covers as “the sound Christians make when they discover pot,” which is a perfect description of the Free Design’s innocent, softly psychedelic songs of sunshine, flowers, kites, and first love.
“Sermonette,” Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
Sometimes the Flat Five will take you to church, even if it isn’t Sunday. But it’s vocal jazz church, where people snap their fingers and sing about love a lot. (Side note: Nora O’Connor’s tendency to do the Robot during this song is one of the most charming things about the Flat Five’s live performances.)
“Birds of A Feather,” Joe South
Joe South’s original recording buries some nice harmonies under its saccharine string section, but the Flat Five’s version is all about the vocals, from the girls’ soaring “ahs” to McDonough’s soulful, laid-back lead.
“Love Is Only Sleeping,” The Monkees
The first time I saw the Flat Five live, I watched Nora O’Connor pick up the electric guitar and tune the low E string down to a D, and while they could have been preparing to play any one of hundreds of songs in drop D tuning, the first one that popped into my head was this Mann/Weil composition featured on my favorite Monkees album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.–and that’s exactly what they played. I’d been a fan of a few of the band members individually for years, but this was the moment I fell in love with the band as a whole.
“Animal Life,” Scott Ligon/NRBQ
It’s rare that the Flat Five include originals in their sets — Casey McDonough’s “Fightin’ Back” and Nora O’Connor’s “My Backyard” are two others that show up from time to time — but their original songs, like their cover arrangements, are musically rich and sparkling with humor. This one, which Ligon recorded with NRBQ on 2011’s Keep This Love Goin’, is a crowd favorite and an irresistible singalong.
There’s plenty more to discover in today’s Spotify playlist, from Hoagy Carmichael to Captain Beefheart to the Electric Light Orchestra. And if you’re in the Chicago area, of course, you can probably catch the Flat Five performing live sometime soon. Say hi if you do — I’ll be up front singing my heart out, like I do at every show.
(Cover photo by Robert Loerzel.)
