‘Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium!’ is the intriguing new album from off the wall Chicago band THE CLAUDETTES. They are: Johnny Iguana (piano), bassist/singer Zach Verdoorn drummer Matt Torre and vocalist Berit Ulseth and the foursome steadfastly refuse to categorise their music…. if pushed they might say “Brother Ray meets the Ramones”! Though on ‘Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium!’ you might also detect vaudeville, punk, blues and ’60s soul influences.
In fairness the soul servings are not soul as we know it but for music adventurers ‘Bill Played The Saxophone’ and ‘November’ are interesting attempts to marry the classic girl group sound of the Brill Building era with Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound’.