The Hentchmen

Mike Latulippe – Drums
Tim Purrier – Guitar
John Szymanski – Farfisa

As you step onto the front porch of the “Hentch House” in Hamtramck, Michigan, notice the quaint wooden sign announcing “The Szymanskis”: this is the family home of John, the Hentchmen’s organ grinder. Ladies and gentlemen, enter the Hentchmen. Inside, the walls are plastered with pop culture paraphernalia such as authentic 60’s movie posters, pirate flags, and even an autographed picture of Richard Kiel. You quickly confirm that there is nothing pretentious about this house or the musicians who spend their time here; the Hentchmen are the real thing, originals, and they will rock your ass off.

This fall, the Hentchmen will release their album, Form Follows Function on Times Beach Records. The album was recorded at Rustbelt Studios in Royal Oak, Michigan, and produced by Al Sutton, who engineered tracks from 2003’s Three Times Infinity, the Hencthmen’s critically acclaimed release. Form Follows Function is the Hentchmen’s first album on Times Beach; with the exception of one mini-LP on Italy Records, their previous albums came out on the highly-regarded Norton Records.

The Hentchmen began playing together a dozen years ago, when they met in high school. The original lineup was Tim Purrier, John Szymanski, and Chris Handyside. When Handyside moved to Chicago, the band called on longtime friend Mike Latulippe. At this point in their story, one can easily label the Hentchmen an anomaly: beyond the one drummer exchange, there is NO “rotating cast of members” in the Hentchmen’s bio! Despite (or because of?) years of traveling the globe in a station wagon (yes, they even drove a wagon in Europe), they remain close friends.

The rapport among the three Hentches is evident in their live show. Tim jumps around, strumming aggressively, looking like a bleach-bottle Buddy Holly. He shares vocal duties with John, who plays the Farfisa with aplomb. Mike “in the center” beats the skins with the enthusiasm of a two-year-old who has just discovered the peal a spoon makes on a saucepan. Standing still at a Hentchmen show is impossible.

Not tapping your foot while listening to the new album is equally as hopeless. The energy from the Hentchmen’s live shows is accurately and wholly captured on Form Follows Function. Their first single, “Love,” is a fun tale of puppy love growing up (“It was love to the Nth degree/ It was love most definitely”); in the accompanying video the Hentchmen take their act underwater, complete with vintage tuxes and bouqets of flowers. On “Mike in the Middle,” John introduces the band members, and with the lo-fi jangly sound, you can almost imagine ? and the Mysterians doing a Beatles-esque “Sorry girls, he’s taken!” kind of TV scene. The hip-shaking, head-bobbing sounds of “Perpetuate” are undeniable, from the opening bars to the driving drum rolls to the especially delicious high-pitched keyboard riff.

Everything on this album is catchy as hell: the lyrics, the addictive guitar patterns, the tasty beats, the dance-y strains of the Farfisa. The Hentchmen have reached a new high mark with Form Follows Function, and they will soon bring their act to a town near you. Whether seeing them on stage or just listening in your car, you can’t help but shake your body to the Hentchmen’s music…..so put on your Hush Puppies, grab your Parliaments… and prepare to be rocked.