The Flashcubes - The Sweet Spot
THE FLASHCUBES are back once more with the second single of their Summer 2025 trilogy of new tracks: “The Sweet Spot”. Out July 25 on all digital platforms worldwide, it follows their recent indie hit “Reminisce” in paving the way to a unique album release celebrating the legacy (and the modern day renaissance) of the Power Pop Hall Of Fame inductees. With one more new single to come and the album announcement in the wings, “The Sweet Spot” is up for pre-order.
It's already been a banner year for THE FLASHCUBES as they storm back onto the airwaves with new music and the same lineup as when they burst onto the Syracuse scene in 1977 (guitarists Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin, bassist Gary Frenay and drummer Tommy Allen). While the band won accolades in recent years for their fan-favorite covers album POP MASTERS, they hadn't released any new originals for years until June brought the surprise hit “Reminisce,” masterminded by Armstrong who shared the lead vocal with guest Mike Gent of The Figgs. Now the 'Cubes are popping off all over, and the radio-ready perfection of the aptly named “The Sweet Spot” brings bassist GARY FRENAY front and center, on a terrific tune that's as relatable as it is personal. Frenay explains the song's origins:
“The main inspiration for this song was the book Pulse!, by my brother Bob (Robert C. Frenay - 1946-2007) published in 2006. In the book he talks about the future of technology and how many systems mirror processes in the natural world. One phrase he kept using was 'the sweet spot:' that place where everything sits in its perfect place and just feels right. I had that title floating around for years but couldn’t make it into a song. Enter B.D. Love. “Buddy” Love, as he was known when we first met in 1977, was a Syracuse University professor with a taste for rock & roll. He found The Flashcubes early on and would jump onstage during our encores. That led to him starting his own band, Buddy Love & The Tearjerkers (and later, My Sin), and a lifelong friendship - even though, for most of it, he lived 3,000 miles away in Los Angeles. Buddy was a published poet, author and celebrated educator.”
“We had talked about collaborating for years but we never quite made it happen,” Gary continues, “until 2022. I told him I was stuck on starting a song with the concept of the Sweet Spot. I asked for help and he said he’d think about it. In fairly short order, he sent me the lyric that expressed my sweet spot idea in three different ways: music, baseball and romance. It was perfect! When I sat down with a guitar, the song seemed to write itself; I didn’t have to change a word. I made a quick demo and sent it to him. He loved it and shared it with everyone he knew, reveling in the fact that he was finally getting to contribute to a Flashcubes song, 45 years on! Unfortunately, Buddy, in poor health later in life, suffered a fall at home in August, 2023. My friend never got to hear our finished recording. After a long hospitalization Buddy passed away on Memorial Day, 2024. Let’s hope he’s listening now.”
The global pop community is certainly listening to everything this legendary band is up to now, and followers of DJ/journalist Carl Cafarelli have more than an inkling that the band – and a veritable host of their friends and fans – are truly about to “make something happen.” For now, we will say no more, and leave you right where THE FLASHCUBES want you... in “The Sweet Spot”!
