Feature: E! Online Music Scoop 11.07.01

Out on the Town: What a double bill! I was in rock 'n' roll ecstasy when my fave new band, Minibar, opened for the Old 97's at L.A.'s House of Blues last week. It was the last show of a long U.S. tour, and I spoke with Minibar's lead singer Simon Petty about the pairing.

"The Old 97's are more raucous, and we're mellow," Petty said. "But it works. By the end of the tour, it was a love fest."

I've always wondered if bands wind up bickering on those cross-country journeys. "What do you think?" Petty asked. "Actually, it's quite amazing; we got on really well. Malcolm [drummer Malcolm Cross] accused me of having a semi-mullet. I didn't talk to him for half a day!" I suggested to Petty he check out mulletsgalore.com for a giggle. "I'll have to go there," he said, "and compare and contrast."

Minibar's stunning debut album, Road Movies, came out earlier this year, and one of their new tunes, "Mill Smoke Black," gave me chills at a recent House of Blues show.

"We're getting our new album together, recording and releasing it as soon as possible," Petty said. "So, it's important to play them live. I'm really happy with 'Mill Smoke Black.' I grew up in East Manchester, where everything is still covered with soot from the Victorian era. People are always asking us where we're from, and I no longer know. I can't go back to Manchester; it's not even there anymore." The Minibar boys live in L.A. now. I'm proud to have them as neighbors.

From E! Online