FROGNOT Is Toadly Leapfrogging to the Top
by RJ Johnson
MTV.com
Breaking out on the World Wide Web is one of the greatest moves that Dallas-based "alternative groove-rock" band FROGNOT has made. The band's website (www.frognot.com) has served as a musical bridge, connecting music fans from all over the United States as well as the land Down Under. That's right -- Brisbane, Australia is just one of the many cities spinning FROGNOT'S debut release, Welcome To Frognot. "I think the Internet has been one of the best forms of promotion for us," says FROGNOT'S energetic drummer, April Samuels. "I have met so many people, and we have reached people all over the country. It's really great."
However, FROGNOT is not about to take all of this attention for granted. "When a band is working as hard as we are, you'll find that you'll climb about ten steps on that ladder of success and get knocked down another five," lead vocalist Dennis Leonard points out. "It's a constant battle."
Although FROGNOT could be considered a heavyweight contender on the local scene, the band members realize that they will have to take a few blows below the belt along the way to becoming a household name. Take, for example, the show scheduled for Sunday, October 4. FROGNOT was booked a month in advance to play the Starplex's Blockbuster Music Stage, followed by Tori Amos on the main stage.
"We were just about to do a sound check," Samuels recounts, "when our contact for the Starplex came out and told us his hands were tied, that he was very sorry, but unfortunately, for some reason, Tori's manager did not want us to play. We asked why, and there was no reason."
Such treatment by those higher up in the music world just goes to show that not only is it a constant battle to climb to the top of the music industry -- but, obviously, a struggle for some to stay there.
However, the confident and talented members of FROGNOT remain focused on the next step for them as a band. "Right now we are hoping to get signed. At this point we're not going to be too picky," admits Samuels. "We're just trying to make it to the next level, and we realize we are going to need some financial backing to do that."
Without a doubt, the next level is within sight for this deliciously funky quartet. FROGNOT continues to leap toward the top. It is a safe bet that, very soon, nobody will be able to stop FROGNOT from playing any show they want.
-- RJ Johnson
MTV College Stringer
feedlocal@mtvmail.com (October 12, 1998)