50 Million Fables

The story of 50 Million Fables might best be summed up by simply quoting a line from one of their songs; “Like a story book legend told long ago…”The seeds of this tri-branched tree were sown three decades ago in Atlanta, GA suburbia when schoolmates Billy “Brew” Pope and Dewey McGrail were issued adjacent lockers, sparking an infinite flood of sarcasm and wit, and exposing an undeniably similar passion for the music that would shape the sounds that they would later create. Also a classmate, the sister of Armand Wells hosted a number of house parties which easily could have been inspirational for the creators of the film “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” It was here that the three band members would meet and form a friendship and musical alliance that would waver and morph yet would remain fundamentally true to the lessons of album oriented rock radio of the day and of the recent past.The Who, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, AC/DC, The Cult, The Replacements, Living Colour…torn ticket stubs with these names and many others lay in a cigar box in Armand’s closet. But the influence of these experiences are not stored away; they are reflected and reborn when 50 Million Fables comes together for a show or a recording session. Blending exponential levels of energy, sing-along memorable melodies, and their signature “razor-line” harmonies, a 50MF experience offers a fresh perspective with a somehow familiar feel. See a show to be entertained; not to be schooled in musicianship technicality or attitude.Is Billy Brew sitting quietly behind the kit when the guitars are beginning a song before the drum part kicks in? Not likely. Usually it’s a combination of “So You Think You Can Dance” meets Keith Moon meets the Heisman Trophy. But make no mistake. If you’re still laughing when the drums join the congregation, prepare to have your satisfaction shift from visual to aural in a hurry. Billy has bashed the skins for 30+ years and has worked tirelessly to grasp and maintain the levels of percussion professionalism he now enjoys. Adding powerful vocals and streamlined dedication Billy is truly the concrete foundation on which the band is built.Dewey McGrail- stocky, punchy, well proportioned yet wildly imaginative; these are words describing the man and the music he creates. Musically trained on the trumpet, Dewey was able to transfer this experience to the bass guitar, rounding out the full, rich sound 50MF pulses out and freeing him up to add to the crucial vocal element that defines their sound. Obvious influences lead a listener directly to Entwhistle, with thunderous outbursts and blistering runs, yet always lying underneath are shades of McCartney and Geddy Lee-styled melodic phrasing and coloring. Paired with the heavy-handed play of Billy Brew’s drumming, McGrail completes the rock-solid rhythm section that drives the band.While Armand Wells sits at his piano exploring ways to intertwine melodies and chord patterns, anyone within earshot will likely soon begin to realize that the music they are hearing is destined to be reborn when it falls in to the hands of the other members of the band. Armand’s writing and guitar playing leave wide-open spaces for the rhythm section to fill up, both instrumentally and vocally. Stealing technique and energy from the rhythm work of Pete Townshend and the lead styles of countless revered players before him, Armand’s style might best be described as steadfast, loyal, but often times surprising. Feeding off of the driving low-end bass guitar and pulsing drums steers him to places that may seem familiar but are capable of awakening curiosity and surprise.The “story book legend” of 50 Million Fables has taken many twists and turns over the years but the present day sounds they create are fresh, vibrant and keenly listenable. The on and off-stage experiences these guys have shared have molded them in to a cohesive brotherhood with all of the bumps, bruises and emotional history this family-like relationship entails. But as the book continues to be written the reader, or listener, can be delighted with every new turn of the page.