3/2/07, 4:48 pm EST

Assignment Seven Finalist: Chris Senn on The Fratellis

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Note: This is not an official Rolling Stone article. What follows is a submission to the “I’m From Rolling Stone” writing competition.

The Fratellis

by Chris Senn
Age: 24

Even if you don’t know them by name, The Fratellis may already be your favorite new band. Over the last few weeks you may have noticed the new advertisements for both iTunes and, depending on your location, Safeway or Von’s.

The vivid multicolor silhouettes in the iTunes ad are dancing along to “Flathead” while the cutouts for the Safeway/Von’s commercial are partying to “Chelsea Dagger.” Both are stellar tracks featured on the Fratellis debut, Costello Music. The album was released to critical acclaim in their home country of Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom last September. It finally sees a stateside release on March 13th.

Jon on vocals and guitar, Barry on bass and Mince on drums combine the sounds of their influences into a sound that is wholly original. Costello Music is one of the most promising debuts in years.

“Cuntry Boys and City Girls” starts off with a Madness vibe before breaking into an all out punk assault. “Whistle the Choir” takes you back to the 1950s with an acoustic chord progression reminiscent of an Elvis rock ballad. The Fratellis move forward a couple of decades with the glam stylings of “For the Girl.”

For “Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night” The Fratellis put their own twist on The Clash’s “Rudie Can’t Fail.” The album may have been christened Costello Music due to the closing track “Ole Black and Blue Eyes” which incorporates the sounds of early Elvis Costello with mid 1990s Brit-pop.

The Fratellis will be playing at the SXSW Festival in Austin and also are scheduled for the second day of Coachella to prove stateside what everyone else already knows. A new kind of British Invasion is about ready to hit our shores. Will you be ready?