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St. Cloud ‘Flipp’s for band
By Jesse Wheeler and Nissa Billmyer
 Media Credit: Ken Steinhardt/Flipp financial manager Flipp rocks out in one fan’s garage on Aug. 10. Flipp has been on a tour for their latest album, “Volume.”
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Music today reminds many of prefabricated, homogenized pieces of work manufactured by a faceless label. Much like the early sixties music of Fabian, Frankie Avalon and Paul Anka, music has been in a black hole of uninventive bands and pre-packaged talent. �
Well, the beat goes on in a sense. �After the defeat of the alternative revolution in the mid nineties, the bubblegum was once again on the airwaves and overplayed on MTV. �Bands and heartthrobs were popping up faster than they could package them. ��
The Minneapolis-based band Flipp wants to break through all of that and get in your face and scream…LET’S ROCK!
Flipp is introducing a refreshing outlook on the musical horizon. �Perhaps the local foursome, Brynn Arens, Chia Karaoke, Freaky Useless and Kilo Bale is what this exhausted medium needs: loud guitars and catchy songwriting. �What other band could use the middle finger as an international symbol between fans as the sign to ‘rock on?’
Flipp’s third album features their major label debut. �Released on Popularity Records, a pet project of Everclear’s Art Alexakis and a subsidiary of Artemis Records, Flipp is threatening to take the country by storm.
“Recently a headline in Rolling Stone read ‘rock is back’,” said Ken Steinhardt, Flipp’s financial manager. �“I see Flipp as the rock act that has been missing.”
Their third album entitled “Volume” was released nationwide August 13 with the powerful single “Freak.” �Both the single and album have made significant movements on the Billboard charts and have been getting good airplay. �Their album release was accented by a tour of fans’ garages around the state.
The next single for release is the track “I Still Love Rock & Roll”, which was co-written by Byrnn Arens of Flipp and Art Alexakis of Everclear.
In true Flipp style, the band put on a contest and played in the garages of 3 different locations of some lucky fans back in August. �The first two locations were in the Twin Cities and the third in Sauk Rapids, where the Chronicle was able to speak with front man Brynn Arens about Flipp and the future.
“Occupational therapy meets primal scream,” says Arens of Flipp’s sound. “Our work has to be able to let people forget about the sh--.”
It does just that. �Many would describe Flipp as loud; indeed they are. �Each member has their own distinct look which they proudly display. �
What is also so unique to Flipp is their sound. �They are hard rock in a time when pop has been top dog.
“Over the past years, you go from fad to fad, and then there’s Flipp,” said Steinhardt. �“They’re all about (having) some fun.”
Overall reaction to the new album seems to be favorable. Flipp has been getting more gigs throughout the Midwest. �
“As a result of the positive response to ‘Freak’ on the airwaves, there have been many requests for Flipp to play at venues around the country, and to play with some very recognizable rock acts,” Steinhardt said. �“In two weeks Flipp will be one of the national acts playing at the LocoBazooka show in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Flipp, in a sense, hit the ground running in the beginning. �Arens was working in New York with RCA records as a writer when he and drummer Kilo Bale decided to cover The Who’s “My Generation” in an impromptu video. �
“This video opened a lot of doors for us,” Arens said.
�Indeed it did. The video was shown on MTV’s 120 Minutes and was a winner of the “Unsigned Band Contest.” �It got the attention of the organizers for Edgefest (now known as X-Fest) a weekend long show put on by now defunct 93.7-The Edge of Minneapolis, set in Wisconsin every Memorial Day weekend. �Flipp was to be first on stage. �
The crowd loved it and Flipp has been a feature ever since. �The lineup included Arens, brother Chia Karaoke a.k.a. Kii Arens, Kilo Bale on drums, and former bassist, Cherry Forever. �
In the mid-nineties the band signed with Hollywood Records and released their first CD. �Their self-titled album was played locally and the band did gigs in and around the midwest with groups like Cheap Trick. �The album was received well but due to Hollywood, the band was lost in the shuffle. �
Faced with this problem, the band kept on and decided to release albums on their own label. �By this time, bassist Cherry Forever heavy-heartedly asked to exit the band to settle down and start a family. �The band accepted Cherry’s exit and they are still friends today. �
The search for Cherry’s replacement was short. Flipp recruited St.Cloud native Freaky Useless and the band soldiered on to play Woodstock in 1999, star in a Troma Film and put out another album entitled, “Blow It Out Your A--!” �
Art Alexakis of Everclear got a hold of the video and wanted to get in touch with them. �He did, and Flipp went on tour with Everclear, American Hi-Fi and Econoline Crush. �
While on tour, Arens and Alexakis wrote and jammed. �When the tour ended, Alexakis invited the band to sign on his new label, Popularity Records. �Flipp agreed and went to work on their third album, “Volume.” �This album was a reworking of many of Flipp’s songs from “Blow It Out Your A--!” as well as some new material.
“Volume” has managed to climb up in the Billboard charts and the fans love it.
When Brynn Arens was asked about what the future might hold, he gave a simple response.
“No crystal ball here, we just want to rock and f--- anyone that says we can’t,” Arens said.
“Volume” continues to climb and the future is looking up. Flipp’s focus is on just that. The next single for release is the track, “I still love rock and roll,” which is co-written by Arens and Alexakis.
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