The Backpeddlers

For over a decade, Mark Norris fronted the powerpop outfit girlpope-hailed as one of Buffalo, New York's best live acts for its breakneck, sweat-soaked performances. Forming The Backpeddlers in 2005, Norris was looking for a new approach.

After a few key shows opening for the likes of Elvis Costello, Steve Wynn, and The Reigning Sound, the band released its debut CD, Stranded Between Stations, in 2007. Filled with stark, quiet ruminations, the disc was a step away from girlpope's bombastic, uptempo songs. The disc was described by the Buffalo News as “The Basement Tapes recorded with Ray Davies instead of Bob Dylan.”

Norris wasn't looking for inspiration in November 2009, but inspiration found him. It was during that time that the songwriter bumped into one of his long-time idols, Alex Chilton. Chilton was in Buffalo performing a one-off gig with the Box Tops. Attending the show, Norris met his musical hero and chatted about Chilton's lack of new material. "I don't create much without a deadline and I never have deadlines" was the gist of Chilton's response.

Sadly, the Buffalo appearance would be one of Chilton's last. However, for Norris, the meeting inspired the need to create something new, something different than he had released before.

Held in the summer and fall of 2010, the recording sessions for Songs of Guilt and Revenge were drenched in catharsis. Forgoing the moody quiet of the band's previous efforts, the Backpeddlers focused on making music that sounded raw, live, and loud. Attention was paid to the details, but the details were the small mistakes and flaws that are normally wiped from the finished tracks. The band harvested the flubs and wild notes and featured them as key components of each song. Chilton's Like Flies on Sherbet was a key inspiration.

One listen to Songs of Guilt & Revenge doesn't convey all of this backstory, of course. On its own, the album is a celebration of American music songs forms: From garage rock ravers to imagined dance crazes and from country tear-jerkers to mod-action packed blazers, the album covers a lot of ground in just over a half hour.

Tracks can be downloaded at their offical website, www.thebackpeddlers.com.