Neil & Tim Finn

[CRAZY-HORSE]

BETCHADUPA "alphabetchadupa" 2002.

band bio from "allmusic" as i know nothing about these guys only that i got the cd because i was curious as to what a Finn offspring could do!:

Despite their young ages, the members of New Zealand's alt-pop group Betchadupa were well-versed in the ways of the music business. Singer/guitarist Liam Finn and drummer Matt Eccles were simultaneously blessed and cursed by being the prodigy of famous musicians. Liam's father is Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House fame, while Brent Eccles was drummer and manager of legendary Australian hard rock band the Angels. The sons' careers started after a chance meeting in summer of 1997 between the then 12-year-old Eccles and Finn when their families were holidaying at the same spot. They say they instantly disliked each other, but also discovered each other's love of music and spent the summer writing and recording songs. Later Liam's neighbor, Chris Garland, was recruited on guitar, and schoolmate Joe Bramley was added on bass to complete the lineup. They played their first show when they were 16. Originally they called themselves Lazy Boy. Their name was changed to Betchadupa after objections from a company with a similar name making reclining chairs. Betchadupa "apparently" comes from the top line from an eye chart that Liam Finn had to read.

In early 2000 the band released its self-titled first EP on Flying Nun, comprised of songs Liam and Eccles had put together after that first meeting. Immediately they found themselves in demand and hit the road. In 2001 Joe joined the others in quitting school, the band released their second EP -- 3DEP (the New Zealand release accompanied by a pair of 3-D specs on purchase) -- and they shared the stage with some of the music world's most respected names. In April 2001 Neil Finn decided he would celebrate the release of his solo latest album with five-night, sold-out series of shows at the Auckland St. James Theatre with friends including Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien and drummer Phil Selway, the Smiths' Johnny Marr, Neil's brother Tim Finn, and Betchadupa, who performed Split Enz's "I See Red" with Vedder and Tim Finn. Eccles was also working as part of the crew on the five shows, alternating with his drumming duties. Australian Betchadupa performances around the release of 3DEP followed. In June 2001 Betchadupa went into hibernation to start a couple of months' work on their first album, Alphabetchadupa. No longer teenagers and having found what they wanted to do together musically, their music reflects the famous pop sense of the Finn family, but with the energy, hard edge, and irreverence of youth.

end of biography!

Liam Finn was only eighteen when Betchadupa(stupid name for a band!) released this one...coincidently his father Neil was the same age when he joined Split Enz.
its always difficlt not to compare the children of famous musicians to their parents...we all do it!
anyway this is a respectable debut album from these guys IMO....infact allmusic rate it 4/5 which is 2.4 on the MHRS, im not so generous as allmusic and havent been with most of my reviews thus so far!
young Finn has a reasonable enough voice and he can play most instruments just like his dad, he is also a reasonable songwriter IMO,
the tracks on this debut set range from a slightly grungy sound,through psychadelia,alt rock and a touch of folky rootsy type songs, at times he does sound a bit like his father in vocal style and in song construction on this one but he is still good enough in his own right.
nothing further to add here, but i implore you to at least listen/watch whatever links i find with Liam as he may just be good enough to prick up your ears and take out your wallets/credit cards!!!

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

tracks:

1. at night**
2. supa day*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK9LoIXF6Ds video
3. easy as it seems***
4. rain**
5. filthy mcnasty*
6. life will be the same**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJbimOpYxzA live
7. feed the dogs**
8. unused potatoes**
9. lucy's song**
10.sleepy news**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk2h7yb2p...re=related audio
11.drop d*
12.other way**

3s=1
2s=8
1s=3

rating: 1.9 (allmusic rate this 2.4?!)