Melenas-s/t

Imagine if the Feelies’ matter of fact Lou Reed-ish vocals were replaced by female harmonies and they sang entirely in Spanish. Well, you can stop imagining things as this sound actually exists! Arising from Northern Spain, Pamplona to be exact, this foursome has only been together since summer 2016, but they are already making international waves.  Melenas (which translates to Mop of Hair) released this stunning self-titled debut in November 2017. “Cartel de neón” sets the tone for the rest of the album with its churning and clanging guitars signaling the charge while being propelled forward by a pulsating Krautrock rhythm via Stereolab.

They proceed to downshift on “Menitras” by employing taunt harmonies and atmospheric keyboards, evoking the melodic “Lovelife” moments of Lush. "Gira" has them deftly interlacing their Fender Jazzmaster guitar, Fender Mustang bass, stripped-down drums and Nord keyboard into a satisfying whole. “Sales” bursts forth with onrushing sound waves which lift and carry listeners to shore and leaves them with smiles on their faces. Entering with a bucking bronco kickbeat, “Volaremos” exemplifies their innate knack of being immediate, while also being competent and in command. At this point, their storming sound falls somewhere between the garage growl of Lyres and echoes of the late great Louie Louie (from Philadelphia). “¿Dónde estás?” reveals not only their finely tuned attention to harmonies, but also melodies, arrangements and overall sound. This musical finesse could be attributed to guitarist and vocalist Oihana, who was classically trained on the violin, but they truly flourish as a dexterous and dynamic unit as seen from their daytime slot at Primavera Sound 2019.



The quartet ace the perfect pop quiz with the dashing and ultra-catchy “Tú me haces lo mismo.” on top-tier Heavenly levels. From an U.S. standpoint, they also seemingly share sonic sensibilities with some of Spain’s Elefant bands like Juniper Moon, Nosoträsh, and Vacaciones who were active in late ‘90s and early 2000s. Their music videos further elicit some of disparate parts which comprise their vast milieu ranging from kiddie Nerf blasters to Etta James. Displaying their affinity for Slumber Party, “Alfajarín” generates a surging sound that ensnares the listening audience right back under with their hypnotic undertow and the reverb up at Matthew Smith levels!  In Spanish interviews, they have expressed their dreams of playing live in Austin, TX. This record continues to hold on to that dream, while creating anticipation for additional guitar-driven pop songs to arrive from this blazing group.

5d: Another Dimension of the Scottsdale-Tempe Sound

L to R: Scott Nicholson, Mike Perikly, Mike Janes, Jim McLellan, Mike DeVirgilio

From the Garage to Greece

5d: 1966-1968 Coronado High School, Scottsdale, Arizona

Scott Nicholson (12-string guitar, rhythm guitar) 

Mike Perikly (drums)

Mike Janes (bass guitar)

Jim McLellan (singer, tambourine man) 

Mike DeVirgilio (lead guitar) Tempe High

From Here to There

While several Arizona groups from the ‘60s have been thoroughly documented or at least  briefly profiled over the years through anthologies, compilations and reissues of their recordings, there is another unsung substrata where the only scant evidence of their existence can be found in yearbooks, newspaper microfilm, or the hidden treasures found in private photo collections. Finding members of these bands can be tricky, even with all this ubiquitous technology, as commonly these musicians have been completely out-of-touch with each other for over a half-century.  5d has been a band that has eluded me for about 5 years.  I happened upon a photo of this group that was included on a panel featured in The Tempe Sound exhibit that ran at the Tempe History Museum during 2014 & 2015. The photo intrigued me as a 12-string Rickenbacker 360 guitar was present and the band’s name seemed possibly inspired by the Byrds’ groundbreaking 1966 album Fifth Dimension.  However, there were no details beyond the caption “The band 5d performing at the Tempe VFW hall about 1967” on the panel. The museum’s helpful and knowledgeable curators, Joshua Roffler and Jared Smith, had scant provenance information beyond the fact that the photo was contributed by a classmate from that accelerated era. After hitting many walls with my investigation, John Hesterman, keyboardist of the Grapes of Wrath and host of the internet radio station program Looking Back At Arizona's Top 40 cracked open the deeply buried universe of 5d when he came across a Linkedin profile of Mike Perikly.  Mike’s responsiveness and love for music enabled me to construct a basic framework around the enigmatic group and eventually a fuller understanding of their role in the compelling and transitional Arizona mid-sixties music scene.

The Coronado Expedition

Four of the five were students at Coronado High School in Scottsdale with Mike DeVirgilio being the outlier from Tempe High School.  Mike DeVirgilio said he was introduced to these Scottsdale musicians through his girlfriend (and now wife) who hailed from South Scottsdale.  A newly issued driver license allowed DeVirgilio to make the short trip up to Scottsdale for band practice.  “I remembered that we practiced at Mike Perikly’s parents house as they were in full support,” recalled DeVirgilio. The band purchased much of their equipment and instruments, including Perikly’s drum set, from still operating Milano Music Center in Mesa. The band went through the typical stages of selecting a name and making up business cards. “It might have been a dream, but I seem to recall that we had a marbled business card where our name was embossed as Thee Fifth Dimension,” added DeVirgilio. “We started to get wind of the soon-to-be-famous harmony soul-pop group the 5th Dimension on the West Coast and we shortened it to 5d.”

Coronado High School in Scottsdale, AZ

The Gold Standard

The band’s sound was initially inspired by both the local action and a then renegade British Invasion group that made their way to Phoenix. “We got to see the Rolling Stones at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in November 1965.  Place wasn't even sold out, we had cheap seats but were able to move closer since so many were empty,” fondly recalled Perikly. “I think I got interested in the drums from listening to “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones.  Just loved the way the drums sounded.  I believe I was about twelve at the time.  Soon after starting,  two older guys who were friends of my girlfriend’s older sister (both guitarists) asked me to play with them on the weekends.  They would pick me up and we would head over to downtown, south Phoenix (nothing like it is now) and ask the bar owners if they wanted live music.  Often we were playing behind chain link as the crowds got pretty rowdy.  I'll never forget when a guy from the audience came up to sit in with us.  He played the guitar left handed but looked and sounded just like Chuck Berry.” Mike DeVirgilio played up the local angle: “The Hearsemen were the gold standard at that time in Tempe.  My first band in junior high was actually named the Koachmen in response and recognition of the Hearsemen who were a few years older than me.  Max Keener, guitarist of the Hearsemen, would later become a great roommate for years.”

Unadulterated Alice

The band proceeded to make some waves on the local level and had a proverbial brush with future greatness.  The band’s repertoire consisted mainly of Rolling Stones songs with some Yardbirds numbers mixed in. “We did several Rolling Stones songs as lead singer Jim McLellan could do a good Mick Jagger” noted Perikly.  “We probably were not accomplished enough as musicians to pull off the Beatles.” While the band did not open up for any of the more recognized Phoenix-area acts like Phil & the Frantics, P-Nut Butter, Floyd & Jerry, they did have one especially memorable experience. “The following was not a dream: Alice Cooper (aka Vincent Furnier of the Spiders) did get up and sing with us one time!” remembered DeVirgilio. 5d did not really have grand aspirations and were just happy to play at their school. “Playing for our friends at a (Scottsdale’s Coronado High) dance was the highlight musical moment for me at that time,” conveyed Perikly. “We also played at Arcadia High School.”  The intrepid and gritty combo might have been as common as the citrus trees which once blanketed the area, but they did it with a distinctive Arizona subdivision slant as the act was also known to play patio parties over the hard-packed low desert floor.

Mike Perikly-1967-5d drums

Continual Changes

Somewhat reflective of the group’s name, the exact time frame of the band is indefinite, but it can be surmised that it was circa ‘66 to ‘68.  When asked about the duration of 5d, Perikly replied:  “Yes, that sounds about right as we started as sophomores,” Devirgilio offered a more amorphous take on the linear time. “It could have been two months or it could have been two years,” added DeVirgilio. Since all this was a half-century ago, the paucity of information is expected and the fuzzy memories understandable. 5d went their separate ways after graduation. Scott Nicholson later gained greater fame as a free-form disc jockey on KCAC & KDKB. Mike DeVirgilio went on to an extensive career at the Tempe Fire Department as lead paramedic and then later Deputy Chief of Organizational Development at the Gilbert Fire Department. “I still play, never quit, even though my professional career was quite different,”' asserted DeVirgilio. “With a few short breaks over the years, I’ve continued on. I played in various cover bands, gigged on an off, and still as enthusiastic as ever to play and continue to develop my craft.  I’ve got a few friends that I get together with just to scratch the collaboration itch, and would love to play in a group that fits my style and interests - and it’s relatively healthy to leave my house. That gets tougher as the years go by, I’m still a rocker.”  The other members are said to be scattered to places otherwise unknown, but hopefully the appearance of this piece will provide the impetus for them to share their perspectives and recollections. 

Athens-Arizona

On the surface, Mike Perikly took a hard left hand turn into traditional Greek music.  However, for a musician with Greek heritage, a fondness for folk-rock groups like the Beau Brummels and the Lovin’ Spoonful and a steadfast desire for continual learning, this was the next natural step. The demands and expectations of Mike’s father, who is 100% Greek, are what prompted  Mike in this new Grecian and life-changing direction.  He was “asked/told” by his father to play drums with a local accordion and violin player at a Greek event.  While Mike was not initially crazy about the music, it was girls his age who were impressed with the Hellenic sounds that spurred him to further explore Greek music and culture.  He then started to listen to the music at a closer level and found the unusual time signatures (many are 7/8, 3/4 or 9/8) to be a worthy challenge. He decided he wanted to learn to play the bouzouki, the string instrument featured in most Greek songs. “Most of the lead is done by the bouzouki and usually it's fairly intricate,” explained Perikly.  “I started recording records onto my reel-to-reel recorder so I could slow things down and figure them out.  Everything I learned at the beginning was by ear.” Mike was eventually awarded a scholarship sponsored by AHEPA that allowed him a two month, all-expenses paid trip to Greece right after graduating from Coronado High.  On this trip, he met John Papachristos who was a guitar player from Los Angeles. Mike who had brought along his bouzouki and John with his guitar were able to frequently entertain their peers.

The Phoencians 1972 at the Andros Restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ
L to R: Harry Bafaloukos (drums), John Papachristos (guitar), Mike Perikly (bouzouki)

Later, Papachristos moved to Tempe to attend Arizona State University with Mike which led to the formation of the traditional group, the Phoenicians. “After we graduated from ASU we returned to Greece (Athens) and spent almost a year there, working on our music and having a great time, enthused Mike.  “I've been back there 3 or 4 times since but nothing beats those first two trips.” Today, Mike plays a Gretch Jr. guitar in the Grecian Express. They are one of the signature acts for the Greek-American festivals held at St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church in Chandler, AZ. Mike is able to place his previous musical efforts into inspiring perspective: “I believe the main concept or lesson I learned about being in a band is that if there is something important that you want (whether to learn or do or understand), it may take a lot of work (practice) and it may seem like progress is not being made, but if you stick with it, if your desire is great enough, you can eventually achieve your dream.”

New Realms

Now that 5d has emerged from the deeply buried layers of subterranean history via the inclusion of the captivating photo in the Tempe Sound exhibit, their legacy and lore can be more carefully accessed. 5d were emblematic of the many exciting groups pushing things to the edge during the era where garage slammed into psychedelia.  Opportunities for live acts adounded during this flourishing mid-sixties youthquake era and they were right in the East Valley epicenter of something happening. In this context, they epitomized the many of the unsung, unrecorded and sometimes unseen East Valley bands with wonderfully intriguing names like the Anti-Smog Protest Group and the Raspberry Lampshades.  In addition, for these resolute teens, music was not just a cool passing phase like slot cars or skateboarding, but something enduring that has remained an integral part of their lives. This formative experience also opened them to wider spears of influences. Lastly, they were able to transition their courage, determination, and passions into successful careers on the always shifting stages of life.

Acknowledgements: John Hesterman, Joshua Roffler & Jared Smith of the Tempe History Museum, Sam (classmate at Coronado High School)