Written by: Mike Dimitriou
Fred Abong is best known as the former bass player for the influential art-punk band Throwing Muses and the Grammy-nominated alt-rock outfit Belly.
Abong’s debut solo effort Homeless, which is comprised of 6 tracks of alternative and gritty acoustic and avant post-punk, hit shelves in late June.
Abong has been immersed in academia for the last eight years or so–he earned his Ph.D. in Humanities in 2016–but long before his advanced degree, he was active as a drummer and bass player in numerous bands centered on the Newport, R.I. hardcore punk scene. Partly because of these DIY roots, he left the music “business” after the release of Belly’s Star in 1992, choosing instead to quietly and independently pursue his own music.
Abong’s new effort swings between all his past stations; it’s an acoustic record with no ballads, and it’s got a groovy center with a punk attitude at its core. Filled with personal songwriting and boasting Abong’s unique vocal delivery, this is one of the year’s coolest releases.
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