Available December 11, 2020
Pete Milo, in taking his musical inspirations from The Beatles, The Who, The Jam, and The Clash, could easily leave the impression that he’s a Brit, but make no mistake, he’s an Ohioan, born and bred.
Forming The Strange Division at the turn of this century, incorporating a self-described Mod/Pop/Art/Powerpop sound, the band attracted a following, seeing them sharing the bill with The Mooney Suzuki, Datsuns, Woggles, Greenhorns, and Ravonettes to name a few.
This 7” with Mixed Up Shook Up on the A-side and Green Tea the B immediately took me back to Manchester’s Northern Quarter and London’s Carnaby Street. The vibe from the two sides couldn’t be more different, and from the start, there’s no mistaking Pete Townshend and Paul Weller’s impact on Pete Milo’s songwriting and lyricism.
Mixed Up Shook Up warps time, transporting me to Britain’s early 60s’ relatively simpler times than today, and I’m hearing The Who in both the playing and the phrasing, and lyrically It’sWeller from his Jam period.
Green Tea is akin to day-tripping over to The Prisoner’s Portmerion. It is kaleidoscopic and trippy, almost Canterbury in its layers and textures. The B-Side comes unexpectedly afterhearing Mixed Shook Up, yet Green Tea augurs much in the way of potential and range, making Pete Milo, the State of Ohio’s Mod Con for all seasons. - DB