28. LISA MYCHOLS: "Almost Didn't Happen"
We love Lisa Mychols. How could we not? How could anyone not love Lisa? Her talent, her enthusiasm, and the palpable joy she exudes with everything she does make her irresistible to anyone with a pulse. Lisa's a rockin' pop Mary Tyler Moore, turning the world on with her smile. Nothing days? Get set, 'cuz Lisa's gonna suddenly make 'em all seem worthwhile.
Our first awareness of Lisa Mychols came when she was fronting The Masticators, a simply wonderful SoCal group that created delectably chewy pop music from the late '90s until about 2001. "He's The One" was our introduction to the group, via its appearance on a 1999 compilation called Unsound, Volume 2: Guitars!, sent to us by raconteur Gary Pig Gold. We were smitten from first strum, and "He's The One" became an immediate TIRnRR Fave Rave. To M'Lou Music, the indie label Gary curated in partnership with noted pop guy Shane Faubert, followed Unsound with The Masticators' debut album Masticate! in 2000. We played the hell out of that one! At that time, The Masticators consisted of guitarist/lead singer Mychols, bassist Severo, drummer Robbie Rist, and lead guitarist Pat McGrath. The Masticators were one of the first two acts (Chris von Sneidern was the other) to record bumper IDs for This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio. Dana and I woulda been just fine with the idea of The Masticators ruling the world.
The Masticators continued to record. A second album is said to have been completed but lost on a corrupted hard drive. All known surviving Masticators tracks (including Masticate! and a truckload of single tracks and covers from various tributes to The Bay City Rollers, Paul McCartney, Sweet, and sparklejets u.k., plus the theme from a proposed revival of the '70s Saturday morning TV show Electra Woman And Dyna Girl) are available as Complete Masticators!, courtesy of Keith Klingensmith's Futureman Records. There ain't gonna be no more new stuff; The Masticators broke up in 2001.
Before The Masticators, I had already been corresponding with Robbie Rist for a few years. Dana and I began chatting with Lisa during The Masticators' brief flourish, and we've been friends ever since. We learned a little bit about Lisa's story up to that point, including her delightful 1991 Christmas album Lost Winter's Dream, recorded with members of The Wondermints (long before they joined Brian Wilson's band). I didn't hear Lost Winter's Dream until 2000 or so, but my then-toddler daughter Meghan described it as "like diamonds clashing on bongos." Good enough for me! Lisa was also in Dreamworld, a combo that included Tammy Ferranti, later of the fab Tammy & the Lords of Misrule. Dreamworld recorded the original version of "Cactus Boy," a Mychols composition that Lisa redid as a solo tune that appeared on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 1 in 2004.
(Although not often mentioned in Lisa's c.v., she deserves special commendation for putting together a swell Gene Pitney tribute album called He's A Rebel--The Gene Pitney Story Retold, released by To M'Lou Music in 2002. In addition to assembling this fine tribute, Lisa also appeared on the cover, superimposed behind a picture of our Gene. The only thing that would have improved this set? A track by Lisa Mychols herself!)
Much of Lisa's post-Masticators work has been done with her husband Tom Richards (of The Waking Hours). They've continued to craft and hone fine and finer pop music under the Lisa Mychols brand name, and you need to own all of it. Lisa's love of Christmas music led her to collaborate with Dan Pavelich of The Bradburys and The Click Beetles (and writer/artist of the comic strip Just Say Uncle) on a special holiday edition of TIRnRR a few years back. Dan also put out Lisa's most recent album Above, Beyond & In Between on his Vandalay Records label in 2013. Before that album was released, an Above, Beyond & In Between track called "Make Believe" made its debut on our own This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3.
Lisa's working on a new album now. We've heard a few tracks, and no one should be the least little bit surprised to hear that they're magnificent. Elizabeth Racz, the intrepid TIRnRR listener we call Baby, strongly suggested we tackle Lisa and beg her to let us use a track. Dana eagerly volunteered to tackle Lisa himself--he's selfless, that one--but really, all we had to do was ask.
"Almost Didn't Happen" could have been the official theme song of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4. But Lisa Mychols' own indomitable spirit would never have stood for that, wouldn't have allowed us to quit until we had succeeded in our troubled attempt to make something happen. Ya gotta love Lisa Mychols. What's not to love?
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