Elliott's Eccentricities - Red Solo Cup by Toby Keith

Quiz: what genre of music gets the least amount of love from the blog? What is that you say… Pop Punk? Sorry avid reader but you are mistaken, Eric loves himself some pop-punk. So as much as the rest of the blog will hate on that particular craphole of a genre, it has a home somewhere on the log. What about “old school genres” like classical or jazz? Nope, John has those covered. Even current mainstream pop gets a bit of respect; some bloggers don’t deny that Lady Gaga and Adele make some good music. No, the genre that receives no love on the blog, no love at all, is Country.

No one on the blog genuinely enjoys country. We don’t listen to it, we don’t talk about it, and we certainly don’t blog about it. We probably couldn’t name more than a handful of country artists if we tried. Maybe we are biased against it because we’re from Philly, a northern city. Perhaps we have never been introduced to the great classic country singers (I don’t count Johnny Cash because he isn’t purely country). It could also be that Country is just a crappy genre that cannot possible contain good music.

I reject that idea. I think that every genre, including my mortal enemy pop-punk, has at least one masterpiece. A genre might be mostly terrible, but it has the potential to contain a good track. I must admit that Welcome to the Black Parade is a really incredibly song despite the fact that any other song like it makes me want to punch Eric in the face for supporting those bands by buying their albums. I am positive that there is great country music out there, I just haven’t heard it. Note that I haven’t listened to much country so that statement is not bashing too many songs/bands. So today I am taking the first step towards accepting Country music in to my heart (and the blog) by featuring a song by Toby Keith.

Recently a friend of mine forced me to listen to a country song that she thinks is fantastic (and hilarious). I resisted, thinking that it would be about “how his wife cheated on him in another guy’s truck so now he is drinking a whiskey in his truck that he loves so much thinking about how he loves America and trucks”. (That is what all country songs are about right?) She persisted so I eventually caved and gave it a listen. What I found was a pleasant surprise.

I wasn’t quite wrong in my prejudiced view on what the song would be about; Red Solo Cup is a love song directed at the red cups people drink beer in at a party. So sure, it falls into the stereotypical topics of country music, trucks, women, booze, trucks, cheating, and trucks. Yet it doesn’t make me roll my eyes because it doesn’t take itself seriously.

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10

1 - I wrote a song about a plastic cup

10 - I tuck a plastic cup into a miniature bed and give it a goodnight kiss

Red Solo Cup - 1/10

The song is just funny. Right off the bat Keith claims that anyone who prefers beer in a glass doesn’t have testicles. The whole song is sort of sardonic yet genuine. He knows how silly the song is, yet I feel like Keith really does appreciate all that the red solo cup does for society. Just the fact that I can write the previous sentence and be serious is proof that the song is awesome. Anyone who has ever been to a college party has had experience with the so called red solo cup, and thus knows how pervasive they are. The red solo cup is an integral part of youth culture.

The word choice in the song is fantastic; it uses “yucky”, and “foreclosable” in the same song. It also rhymes “receptacle” and “testicle”. I also love the fact that the chorus “proceed to party”. “Proceed” just makes me picture a police officer not allowing the party to start until the red solo cup appears. It is such a formal word in a place that it just doesn’t belong, yet it works so well.

The background noises in the song are also great. The echoes of “Solo Cup” at the end puts a smile on my face. Lines like “that’s what I am talking about”, “what up, what up”, and “lifelong” permeate the song, filling me with joy. The cheering, wooting, and fight sounds make me feel like I am at a party with my trusted friend the solo cup.

The video for the song is really fantastic. It depicts all the typical things that can happen at a party, fights, encounters with angry drunks, and have naked women. The shenanigans that go down in the background are a joy to behold and almost always feature Keith’s best friend, the cup. Speaking of which, the breakdown where Keith calls the cup his friend cracks me up. It is so honest; it is exactly something a drunk person would say and exactly the way he would say it.

All and all the song is just catchy. The twangy guitar really adds to the mood without being obnoxious. The song is just the right length, any longer and the chorus would become annoying. It is just a good, clean, simple song that is proof that not all Country music is bad. From now on I am going to keep my eye out for some more good country. Hopefully next time it will be more serious.  

Elliott's Eccentricities Part 2- 8-Bit OK Computer by Radiohead

It's too late to make this video this week's EE, but it's way too awesome to pass up mentioning and I cant wait for next week. So I present a part 2 to this week's EE. Check out this awesome 8-Bit version of Radiohead's Ok Computer.

In case you have lived under a musical rock and don't know who Radiohead is (only one of the best bands of all time), skip to 24:27. You might recognize that tune, Karma Police.

Or if Kid A is more your jive, dig this 8-Bit version.

Elliott's Eccentricities- Silly Circus by Silly Circus Band

Some musical instruments aren’t meant to be used. The recorder, for example, is pretty much only used to teach toddlers how to read and play music; I don’t know of any composer/band/music act that has ever used one in earnest. The Theremin is similar, though it kicks complete ass, it is used sparingly. A whole slew of whistles and noisemakers fall under the category of sound effects and are barely used in music. The king of the non-instruments is one that everyone has played and no one has enjoyed listening to, the kazoo.

“Oh but Elliott” you might say, “jug bands use them all the time and Barbara Stewart played a kazoo at Carnegie Hall”. Well congratulations, not only do you know how to use Wikipedia but you also have a knack for being a killjoy. Please stop reading this article and go back to fact checking YouTube comments where you belong. Are the killjoys gone? Yes? Good, now I can get back to kazoos.

The universe has several constants, the speed of light, the permittivity and permeability of free space, and the fact that no one likes the kazoo. Its only purpose is to be given out in cheap goodie bags at children’s birthday parties to annoy the crap out of all adults in earshot. It is not a musical instrument; no one in their right mind would disagree, let alone use a one in a song. Of course this is “Elliott’s Eccentricities” and no one here is in their right mind. This week features the one band that proves the universe wrong by using a kazoo and using it well, the Silly Circus Band.

I must admit that I did not discover the Silly Circus Band, Eric deserves full credit for that. Several weeks ago Eric was reading a movie blog that he follows from time to time when he saw a bizarre post. The blogger happened to be in Germany and saw the Silly Circus Band performing and decided to film them. They kept repeating “Silly Circus Band” so he googled it and found their myspace/bandcamp page. What he found impressed him so much that he told me to feature them.

At first I doubted him and refused to check them out because admittedly, the band’s name is stupid. There was no way that a band called the Silly Circus Band could possibly make music that wasn’t complete garbage. However one day he forced me to listen to them and I was astounded. It is quirky, different, and somewhat insane, yet still really enjoyable to listen to. To my surprise I found myself humming along to their tunes and actually enjoying myself. “Elliott’s Eccentricities” was created to discover and share bands like SCB.

I have search all over the web (the top page of Google search results) for information on the Silly Circus Band and found almost nothing. The band has myspace, facebook, and bandcamp pages that each contains very little information (in German). However from what I have seen and read, the band is full of crazy people. Their front man either wears a terrifyingly tight jumpsuit or a bathrobe in every video/photo I have seen of them; the blogger said he wears the robe all of the time, not just on stage. He also does this terrifying little step that I think he considers dancing. The rest of the band consists of guys in short shorts, trench coats, and shades and girls with ridiculous dyed red hair. I got a particular kick out of this Facebook post (translated into English by Google translate).

 “A small correction for your band info: the television tower at Alexanderplatz is called "television tower" and the space AROUND the "Alex". The tower is not "Alex". Yes? Just as the penis is not "man" but is "penis" and the man is all around "man". Logical, right?”

The band might be certifiably crazy, but their music, oh man their music, is really enjoyable. I would describe it as insane German folk. It features a lot of acoustic guitar, drums, vocals, accordion, and flute. Sometimes it will randomly breakout into a form of melodic-rap a la Dan Bejar. It is surprisingly diverse, some songs are very fitting of their name, Silly and upbeat, but other songs sound serious and sad (check out the song Mannomann). I am really sad I don’t speak any German (and that I can’t find any lyrics to translate) because I really want to know what they are singing. However, their best track by far is their self-titled Silly Circus, which if you might have guessed from the intro to this article, features the kazoo.

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10
1- I play the kazoo
10- I played the kazoo at Carnegie Hall
Silly Circus -6/10

Silly Circus opening reminds me a lot of the intro to Men at Work’s Down Under, also known as one of the best 80’s one hit wonders. Both songs feature a bit of percussion followed by a kickass flute intro. The flute line in Silly Circus is then interrupted by a kazoo of all things. Normally such trolling would throw me into a fit of rage, but the kazoo sounds good. SCB used the kazoo’s few strengths and minded its many weaknesses. The kazoo has an interesting timber and is rhythmically flexible, yet doesn’t have a lot of musical range and gets annoying fast. The kazoo riff (I am so happy I got to write those words next to each other), doesn’t try to do much; it follows a simple melody. Yet it makes up for it by creating a very pleasing rhythm that compliments the flute and drums well. By placing the kazoo with the flute and using it sparingly, SCB is able to balance the obnoxiousness of the kazoo and actually make it enjoyable to listen to.

Yet the kazoo is not the only thing going on in the song, underneath it is a folk song that is quite catchy by itself. The vocals are also great, they shift between pure singing, melodic-rap, and spoken word to create a really interesting rhythmic pattern. It makes German sound like a really lyrical language in a way that I haven’t experienced before (though admittedly I don’t listen to a lot of German music). I wish I spoke German so I could understand what they are saying, I am sure it is fantastically silly.

Check out more by the Silly Circus Band on their bandcamp page HERE.

Elliott's Eccentricities- Rag and Bone by The White Stripes

Jack White is always on the right. Or is he...?

I swear, Jack White is not a human being. He can’t be; he is just too weird to be from this universe. I am convinced that he is a real life Johnny Depp character from a Tim Burton movie. I mean look at him! I don’t know how he managed to pull a reverse Viewtiful Joe, but I am glad he did.

The funny thing is that, despite how crazy White looks or acts, most of the music he makes is fairly normal. The White Stripes has made some really incredible music that manages to split the divide between popular and artistic. I really don’t know a lot of people, be they hipsters or mainstreamers, who object to the White Stripes. That being said, every Beatles has their Revolution #9, and Jack White is no exception.

Rag and Bone might not be the White Stripes most eccentric track, but it is probably my favorite. Jack and Meg’s Deppesque personalities really shine through. The track follows them as they beg for free stuff. I like to imagine that the song is completely serious; that Jack and Meg really do wander into random people’s houses and creepily ask for stuff.

The thing is the track masks it’s bizarreness behind what sounds like a completely normal Stripes song. The general structure and chorus are fairly standard (and fantastic). It fits perfectly with the rest of Icky Thump and the entirety of the Stripes catalog. The song is so subtly eccentric that a couple members of the blog didn’t think that it really deserved an Eccentricity (don’t worry Eric, I will get on that suggestion next week). However the crazy is there if you pay attention.

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10
1- I saw Ghostrider 2.
10- I thought it was a good movie.
Rag and Bone -1/10
Jack White in general – 10/10

The single greatest part of this track is Meg White in the background. She randomly interjects with whispers that just make me crack up. She whoos when she sees the inside of the house, randomly asks what stuff is, and mutters to herself. She completely sells the song; I can see her picking up things and pocketing them as Jack distracts the owner of the house. She says the second best line in the song, “I saw some stuff in your yard, are you gonna give it to us….or not….?” The line is so great that even Jack can’t ignore it, chastising her for being rude.

I said that Meg has the second best line in the song because Jack says one of the greatest, most eclectic lines I have ever heard. Towards the end of the song Jack devolves from coherency and starts saying random words that rhyme. What is great is that it works perfectly; it doesn’t feel out of place. To paraphrase, he claims that they are going everywhere from the west-side, to the middle-east, to twilight zones in search of everything from “techniques, turntables, to gramophones”. So take the last lick of your ice cream cone, because Jack White will steal it if you don’t. Wow, that is a terrifying mental image…

Wait, here is a scarier one...

You know you're weird when you're
in a photo with the insane clown posse
and YOU'RE the weird one...

Elliott's Eccentricities- Barbara Streisand by Duck Sauce

Question: What does one of the most successful female entertainers of all time and Chinese food have in common? After half an hour of coming up with hilarious fake answers with Eric, I decided to just give you the straight one, Duck Sauce. In fake American Chinese food, duck sauce is that delicious yellow sauce you put on your egg rolls. In the music world, Duck Sauce is a DJ Duo that produces disco house tracks to club to a la Night at the Roxbury. One of such tracks is the hit single (in Europe) Barbara Streisand.

Whatever implored this duo to interject the famous entertainer’s name repeatedly throughout their epic dance tune is a complete mystery. The reasoning is probably similar to that behind their decision to feature “crotch faces” in their following single Big Bad Wolf; Duck Sauce loves a good laugh. This is also evident in the completely genius cover art for the single, Streisand’s 1980 album Guilty digitally edited so the faces on it are replaced with duck beaks.

Barbara Streisand heavily samples Boney M’s 1979 Gotta Go Home, a song that itself deserves an Eccentricity article; the only things I need to say to describe the music video are “hilariously bad”, “steel drums”, and “disco fabulous”. Gotta Go Home itself is based off of the hook line from Nighttrain’s 1973 not-hit Hallo Bimmelbahn. It took 37 years and three songs but that infamous hook line finally got the recognition it deserved; it is addicting as hell. All it needed was a heavier beat behind it and some variations to really shine.

The song is an instant dance classic. Something about the obscure sample combined with interjections of the notorious diva’s name makes people want to get up and dance. I have listened to this song on repeat several times over and for some strange reason it doesn’t get old, even though it is just variations on one hook. I was thoroughly entertained when I watched John play the song on Audiosurf (I don’t usually enjoy watching others play). It is addictive gold. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10
1- I like listening to Jimmi Hendrix’s fire.
10- I like to listen to Hendrix set hit guitar on fire.
Barbara Streisand (the song not the artist) -2/10 

Elliott's Eccentricities- Balrog Boogie by Diablo Swing Orchestra

The best part of being a music lover in constant search for new bands are the eureka moments that happen from time to time. You will be sitting at your desk or waiting for an opening act at a concert, completely ignorant of what is about to happen to your earholes. Then the band begins to play or you checkout a random video online and your world suddenly explodes into pure awesome. I am not talking about songs or bands that you need to listen to a couple times before you fall madly in love (like Swan Lake for me), I am talking about music that you instantly love on the spot.

It is the most incredible rush. You sort of scream out on the inside, “Holy crap yes this is fantastic! Where the Hell has this music been my whole life?!?!” One second your mild-mannered Elliott and the next you want to jump up and pulverize the support beams of the building you’re in with your fists because screw that building; it cannot possibly contain the amount of sheer awesome coursing through your veins. Almost every song that I have written about in this column has inspired this extreme joy the first time I listened to it. This week I stumbled upon yet another.

Earlier this week Mark, Eric, and I were hanging out at their place. We were taking turns playing albums as usual when Mark decided to put something new on. He loves to browse Jamando.com (where he discovered Brad Sucks) and just bumped into a band that caught his eye, Diablo Swing Orchestra. He pressed play and within seconds he and I were vibrating in joy. We both caught the DSO bug and got in a fist fight over who got to post it on the blog before the first song was over. Needless to say I won (I am a good fighter seeing as I pummel building support beams to dust regularly). So now I have the pleasure to bring you Balrog Boogie by Diablo Swing Orchestra. You might want to step outside before pressing play; your fists will appreciate it.

DSO is a band from Stockholm, Sweden with the most epic and elaborate back story. I am almost positive that the story is complete bull, but I like to pretend that it is true. You should definitely read it HERE. For those of you too lazy to get the juicy details, here is the story in short. 16^th century orchestra is too awesome and the church tries to shut them down, they go on the run but soon realize that their time has come. They decide to hold one last giant blowout concert before they are captured and subsequently hung. Before they do so however they write letters to pass down to their ancestors to reform the Orchestra 500 years later. In 2003 two such ancestors get the letters and meet and reform the band with a modern flair.

The music the band plays is summed up pretty well by their name. It is a sort of epic dark orchestral swing music filled with epic Swedish (and sometimes English) vocal lines, intense guitar riffs, the occasional electronic flair, and demonic cello and brass. Diablo Swing Orchestra indeed. I feel like this music would be playing if I ever killed an ogre with my bare hands in the Swiss Alps. I really wouldn’t be surprised if I found out that their guitarist was none other than Swissgard Swissgelf.

I had a hard time picking which song I would write on because their entire first album, The Butcher’s Ballroom, is fantastic. So I decided to choose none other than the track that almost made me destroy Eric and Marks apartment, Balrog Boogie.  It starts off super jazzy with a funky bass line before kicking off a demonic swing that I swear could make the dead rise and dance a la Disney’s Skeleton Dance. I highly recommending muting the youTube video and playing Balrog Boogie while watching it, starting the video somewhere around 1:31, it synched up really well for me and kicked some serious ass.

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10
1- I casually reference Metalocalypse.
10- I casually reference old school Disney cartoons.
Balrog Boogie - 6/10

Balrog Boogie sounds a bit like something Genie from Aladdin would jam too, if he was played by Nick Cave instead of Robin Williams (what is with me tonight and the Disney references?). It has a real swing to it. By opening with a demonic voice and closing it with evil laughter, DSO makes me feel like they are playing music straight from Hell. The female vocals shift between playful and epic in an instant which really drives the song. I did a quick search online and couldn’t really find a good translation that made any sense, a real shame. The song builds on itself until in closes in an epic finish. This song is a complete trip and one hell of a find. I really owe Mark for finding it (I’ll probably start by paying for his medical bills induced by the beating I gave him).

If you enjoyed this track, I highly recommend Rag Doll Physics; it was my second choice. It has English lyrics (sung with a Swedish accent!). You can look Diablo Swing Orchestra up on iTunes or grab The Butcher’s Ballroom for free (legally) HERE. Also, they are apparently releasing a new album on May 22nd!!!!

Elliott's Eccentricities- The Hearse Song by The Marshmallow Ghosts

Everyone who loves music has a short list of special bands that they hold close to their heart. Something about these bands just resonates with the person. Listening to music by these bands is almost an almost divine experience. When I write about music these are the bands that first pop into my mind whenever I make a comparison. People who consistently read my articles (I.E. no one in the world except Eric) could easily my particular short list. It is fairly straightforward seeing I mention them all the time. They are Man Man (mentioned 6 times), Pink Floyd (also 6), The Beatles (6 again), and The Marshmallow Ghosts (4 times).

The Marshmallow Ghosts are an odd duck on my list for many reasons. The first reason is that I am positive that 95% of you have never ever heard of them besides when I mention them. The second reason explains the first; they are not a “real” band. They are a side project of Black Moth Super Rainbow and a couple other bands. The lineup for the band changes every year (apparently). They have only release a couple 7”s and an LP (that I know of). The band only plays around Halloween because they are a Halloween band. Wikipedia doesn’t believe that they exist; it is really hard to get any information on them. The third reason is that they are not in my top five favorite bands of all time yet are on my shortlist unlike Led Zeppelin (which is in my top 5). Also, they are not one of the best bands of all time. Yes, Man Man is one of the best bands of all time. Don’t argue, you are wrong. 

That being said, the Marshmallow Ghosts accomplished something truly incredible with their self-titled LP; they personified fall and Halloween. I can listen to their album on a beautiful spring day and be whisked to late-October. The air around me becomes crisp, the leaves turn red and orange, I can taste pumpkin, and I can feel ghosts surrounding me. Yet not only does the album catch the mood of the season, the music on it is really good. It has some rocking beats and catchy tunes. One of such tracks is The Hearse Song, the video is taken from Corpse Reviver #2 (see below). 

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10
1- I celebrate 4/20.
10- I celebrate 4/20 on the 21^st (I am looking at you Snoop Dog).
The Rake’s Song-5/10

The Hearse Song is not the most Halloweeny of their tracks, yet it shows what the Marshmallow Ghosts are capable of. The haunting voice of the singer drones like a moaning ghost (in a good way). The background synths create a really twilight-zone-esc atmosphere. That being said, this track is a bit more poppy than their other songs which focus more on the ambience. The upbeat melody and drumming drive the song into one you could almost dance to. I know I would, but then again that is just me. Speaking of the drumming, it is really top notch. The drummer is absolutely fantastic and is one of the people who inspired me to learn to drum.

I discovered the Marshmallow Ghosts last fall when they opened at the BMSR concert. Steve and I were completely blown away by them; in my opinion they upstaged Black Moth and were the best part of that night. After their set we immediately bought their Trick or Treat 7” and self-titled LP and got it signed by their female singer/guitarist (or was she the bassist?). We talked for a bit and she was really cool, if not completely scared by our excitement that was pretty much bubbling over at that point. I have to admit that I have a major crush on her, she was really great on stage (and also really cute).  

The best part was that their LP came with a CD version and a movie, Corpse Reviver #2. The movie is nothing more than a string of music videos spaced out by a sling of ghost stories being told on a tour bus (which Steve, John, and I admittedly fast forwarded through). However, the music videos were really enjoyable and fit the music really well; we had a really good time watching it. You can buy it online here if your so inclined.

Elliott's Eccentricities- Raconte-Moi Une Histoire by M83

It is time for another Eccentricity and the voices in my head keep saying “Raconte-Moi Une Histoire”, or as the English say, “tell me a story”. I asked the voices in my head why they were suddenly French and they replied by calling me a stupid American. So in the spirit of appeasing the insane Frenchmen that are currently residing somewhere in my noggin, A story it is!

Last fall I was sitting in Steve’s room when he was deciding what album he was going to pick for his album of the year. He then put on M83’s Hurry Up We’re Dreaming (he ended up picking it as long time readers are aware). I was busy doing work and half listening as I do most albums when I first listen to them, when suddenly I put everything down and started jamming out. I couldn’t explain it, I was suddenly in love with this French electronic band that I had never heard before. Yes, Raconte-Moi Une Histoire made me fall in love with M83. I think the song also made all the voices in my head French…

Raconte-Moi Une Autre Histoire, the voices demand. Apparently that story sucked so I will give it a second go. A few weeks later, M83 announced that they were going to be playing at Union Transfer in May! Yet just as my heart entered the stratosphere it came crashing down. The show sold out in 8 minutes… I was crushed. Yet months later they announced that they would be extending their tour, and returning to Philly in August! This time I waited online and sniped tickets for the whole FoaL team. I really can’t wait. Ok, the Frenchmen are appeased and I can start to talk about some jams. (Sorry about the video, couldn't find a better one).

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10
1- I hear voices in my head
10- I head French voices in my head
Raconte-Moi Une Histoire - 3/10

Raconte-Moi Une Histoire, or as I like to call it, the frog song, is the exact opposite of the stories above; it doesn’t suck. The song is a beautiful crescendo. It starts off really simple, just some snapping and synth. Then every few measures a new section of the song comes in. Slowly these sections build on each other, former something greater than their individual parts. By doing this, M83 is able to slowly build up a mood that fits so perfectly with the lyrics. Many electronic have done the slowly adding layers thing, but not like this and not to this effect. It is something worth listening to.

On top of this wonderful multi-layer dip of musical genius, is a story that is too adorable to describe. Well, I will do my best. I would say that it is absolutely adorable in every way possible; it is like a box of puppies playing tug of war against a cornucopia filled with kittens while a baby watches and giggles. I mean common, “and everything looks like a giant cupcake”? That is adorable. “It’s very funny to be a frog”? Burger Meister Meister Burger just shed a tear. “The biggest group of friends the world has ever seen, jumping and laughing forever”? I think I just heard Stalin say “dawwwww…” in his grave…

The climax of the song happens right as the story ends, the slow pulsing joy that was built up underneath the child’s voice wells up and takes over. The music fills up my entire being and displaces everything negative. I listen to this song and I feel like a little kid, no matter what. The world is suddenly filled with wonder and magic again. This goes on for a while until it suddenly drops out in a very fitting, cathartic end. This end peaceful feeling is continued in the next song with the lulling and comfortable sound of a train. It is such a great way to transition out of a song and is my favorite part of the album.

So I hope you listen to this song and take it to heart. Be a bit more of a kid and enjoy a bit more of the wonder that is so easily forgotten in the business of life. We could all use a bit of pretending to be a frog. Why not form the greatest group of friends the world has ever known, all it takes is a bit of compassion. And then the world would be a slightly less scary, slightly more wonderful place to live.

It would great right?

Elliott's Eccentricities- Engrish Bwudd and Poor Jackie by Man Man

What a busy week I had! I promise that I will soon be back to regular posting! So in a time-saving move, I am going to combine last week’s MIA  EE with this week’s late EE to form a double header of Eccentricity!

Saturday was my birthday! So this is also a special birthday edition where, as a present to myself, I am going to allow myself to talk about my favorite band that is still together, Man Man. I don’t normally allow myself to talk about Man Man because if I did, then every single post I write on this blog would be about them. I am so obsessed that it is a running gag among the Frog on a Log crew to replace every word ‘man’ with ‘man man’ whenever they talk to me. Eventually conversations devolve into ‘man man man man man man man.’ Why do they do this you ask? Well, that is because if I get talking about Man Man it is hard for me to shut up. Anyways onto the tunes!

The first song I give you, Engrish Bwudd, is from their sophomore album Six Demon Bag, is the first song I ever heard by them, and is my favorite. The second song I present to you is Poor Jackie from their third album Rabbit Habbits.  

I love Man Man for a couple main reasons. First, Honus Honus (lead singer/pianist) has an amazing voice and writes some really awesome lyrics, in message, phrasing, and delivery. Engrish Bwudd is more an example on how his delivery and phrasing is fantastic than on meaning, but my god does his lines kick ass. The way he belts out “and he don’t know why she loves him, and he don’t know why the sun sets” really breaths emotion into the line. If you want an example of how good the meaning to his lyrics are check out Ice Dogs; it is the greatest break-up song of all time and I will fight you to the death (politely argue with you) if you disagree.

   

 Next, they have very eclectic drumming; Pow Pow (the drummer) really knows how to rock a solid beat and breaks it down fantastically. I saw them live and he really gets into it; he spends probably as much time in the air as he does sitting down he bounces so much. To call Man Man’s instrumentation eclectic is an understatement. They are not afraid to bang on whatever is within reach; pots, pans, bikes, pianos, and the floor are all game. Pow Pow summed their philosophy best when he was teaching me the basics of drumming on Friday. To paraphrase what he said, “what is important is to get the basics down and then just have fun with it, just go wild and have a good time”. (Did I mention that I am learning drums and I was fortunate enough to have a one on one lesson with Pow Pow? To me it was like being able to learn guitar from Jimi Hendrix).

The last reason as to why I am obsessed with Man Man is related to my previous point; they just like to have fun. I have listened to their entire discography multiple times in a single day (4 albums so that is actually a lot), I have seen all their music videos, I have seen them live, and I have met one of them in person and let me tell you, not once was there a dull moment. Sure they have songs that are quieter and more sentimental, but they are anything but bland. The music videos are hilarious, ranging from a werewolf having a night out on the town to a group of 10 year old greasers running amuck. The show was fantastic! The band was incredibly dynamic; Honus Honus wore a dress and night vision goggles before firing off a confetti canon. It was awesome. Their desire to have fun lets them go mad and make some fantastic music.

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10

1- I think Nick Cage is a good actor
10- I am Nick Cage
Engrish Bwudd - 5/10
Poor Jackie- 6/10

The first song, Engrish Bwudd is pretty much the definition of eccentric. It starts with Man Man’s trademark falsetto-ish voices singing “All I want to be is a shovel bubbly gobbly gook!” Let me tell you, I can play Engrish Bwudd on piano and few things are more fun than belting out those lines. After that comes one of said few things, a wondrous wailing that kicks of the song just perfectly. Then the real song starts.

The song kinda tells the story of a ridiculous relationship, but that is not what matters. What matters is just the words and how they fit together, like how Honus Honus can say “badunkadunk” and have it sound perfect. The chorus is ripped straight out of Jack and the Bean Stock, fee fi fo fum I smell the blood of an emglishman. What does this have to do with a boy raised by hyenas? Does it actually matter? Something in this song just makes me feel unleashed. It is as though I am able to physically exhale my inner demons just by singing along. It is as if I become a madman for three and a half minutes and at the end I return to my true self. That might just be me, but that is some powerful stuff right there.

The second song, Poor Jackie, is a different beast entirely. I consider it to be one of their softer songs, though it is probably one of their more messed up songs in terms of themes.  It is an 8 minute long epic that sort of tells the story of a female psychopathic serial killer that cuts out people’s hearts and how the singer wants to find her because he wants to be murdered. So yeah, is it pretty damn messed up. However I think it is a pretty good advice to never take Man Man’s lyrics too seriously (they have some pretty dark views on relationships).

 What is more interesting is to view the song (and many other Man Man songs) as a sort of portal to view and understand one’s hidden dark side, like how I described exercising internal demons above. I have dealt with some pretty dark times in my life, last year I suffered from some pretty bad depression. So I know what it is like to have a part of me feel that “there ain’t no god here, as far as I can see, your god of hope and light never did nothing straight by me”.  I have walked the line of self-destruction, so I get the whole “so please come with your sharpened knives and murder me” thing.

Now you might be thinking that this is pretty messed up stuff and probably not good for people who are depressed to listen to (and you might be right). However I have found that part of my personality is soothed when I listen to it, it is nice to know that others have felt this way as well. Yet what is important is to not indulge it or glorify it but to realize how messed up it is. It is like editing a paper by reading it out loud; hearing something out loud will let you know how bad it really sounds. Knowing how bad those thoughts and feelings sound can be really be helpful in changing your feelings and behaviors to more healthy ones. Whenever I listen to it now that I am healthy, I am reminded me of how well off I am and how far I have come; it is really beautiful.

Personal discussion of depression and music aside, Poor Jackie is just a fantastic song. The opening violin is beautiful. The sectioning of the song and the way the time signature changes is simply fantastic. The lyrics’ phrasing is really poetic and clever. Time flies by whenever I listen to this song, it is 8 minutes but it feels like half that long. Something has to be said for any song that can do that and, for the most part, have the pace of a moderate waltz. The abrupt ending is perfect and flows great into the last song on the album. Poor Jackie is just a fantastically written song.

I cannot stress enough how fantastic Man Man is. There is a reason that they are in my top 5 bands with the Beatles and Pink Floyd. Please do yourself a favor and check more of them out. I cannot wait for their next album, whenever it will come out. Okay, I think you have had enough of my babbling over how much I love Man Man, so I will lock up my thoughts on them until my next present to myself.  

Elliott's Eccentricities- Forever Heavy by Black Moth Super Rainbow

Last fall I went to my first concert at the First Unitarian Church here in Philly with Steve and John.  The week before Steve asked me if I wanted to go to a concert with John and himself, warning me that the concert would be a bit out there. Loving adventure, music, and all things eccentric, I instantly agreed without knowing which band it was. “You sure?” he asked, “the band is Black Moth Super Rainbow and they are a bit bizarre.” I had never heard of them, nor had any idea what I was getting myself into; “Sounds perfect.”

Soon the night of the concert came and the three of us walked several blocks to an old church on 2125 Chestnut Street. Outside was the most eclectic group of people I had ever seen waiting in line; every stereotypical demographic was accounted for. It was a mix of hipsters, high school students, guys in sports jerseys, old people, scene-sters, and people who looked like they just got off work. We joined as the line filled down a steep stone staircase, through a door, and into an extremely cramped rec-room that reminded me of all of the church food drives my mother took me too as a kid. On one side of the room was a small stage, the other was flanked with fold-out tables covered in merchandise.

After a while of standing in the now-crowded and almost-intolerably-hot room, the concert began to play. The show had three opening acts prior to the main event, two of which (The Marshmallow Ghosts and Serengeti) will definitely get an entry in this column of their own someday.  Once they were finished their sets BMSR took the stage and I heard them play for the first time. As I had hoped, my mind was blown to little pieces.

The concert was fantastic; it was an amazing first impression that is probably a part of why I love going back to First Unitarian. On the way out I was sure to pick up their album and give it a listen. I soon found out however that my relationship with Dandelion Gum was going to be different that mine with most other albums. I can (and have) listen to a Man Man album four to five times in one week. I can only listen to Black Moth once or twice a month. This is because of their sound; it’s absolutely fantastic but tends to drive me crazy after a while. Check out Forever Heavy (a pretty good embodiment of their sound) and see for yourself.

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10
1- I pirate music.
10- I am building a fleet of helicopter UAVs that will hover in the upper atmosphere and contain servers that will help the world pirate music without being caught.
Forever Heavy- 7/10

Black Moth’s sound is one half outer-space, one half backwoods, and one half LSD trip. For one reason or another, I always imagine a man in a space suit dancing around in the forest under a neon-colored sky whenever I give them a listen. Their sound is heavily distorted, to the point where it is almost unlistenable. The voice effects make the lyrics extremely difficult to understand and the synths overload almost everything else. Yet this appears to be on purpose, it actually sounds really good. By overloading everything, it all flows together into this psychedelic soup that pours pleasantly into your brain. I am not into drugs, but let me tell you, if I was Black Moth would be on the top of my list of “music to listen to while out of my mind”.

I personally don’t think Black Moth makes individual songs that one can simply pop on; they don’t really have strong melodies to follow, choruses to sing along with, or solos to jam to. Instead they create a wonderful sound to just listen to for hours on end. This in effect is extremely similar to the work of DJ acts like the Avalanches, which is hilarious to me seeing as they are so incredibly different.

 Black Moth is the opposite of mainstream music. So if you are one of those annoying hipsters who cares less about listening to good music and more about listening to obscure music, check out BMSR cause they are right up your ally. If you are a hipster like me and just love checking out new and interesting music, still loving it (without complaining) after the mainstream stumbles across it, you should also check out BMSR.

Elliott's Eccentricities- Several Small Species... by Pink Floyd

Back in 1958 Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. had an idea. One could record a song with sped-up lyrics to make a novelty record that sounds like a group of small animals were singing it. And thus, the immensely successful chipmunks were born, and I hate him more than anything for it. I don’t mind the music that much; sure it’s terrible, but like most music made for money’s sake I just ignore it. Being a child of the 90’s I loved watching reruns of the cartoon. But my god, that man ruined everything beautiful in this world by creating the characters that would one day be in this awful awful movie (yes, I hate that movie that much).

Eleven years after that unfortunate album came out, musical genius/notorious troll Roger Waters also started messing around with a mic and a tape. While Ross used this interesting technique to create a nightmarish consumer behemoth, Waters created a relatively obscure song that is an anomaly even by Pink Floyd’s standards. By altering the speed of the tape, Waters was able to imitate rodents, birds, frogs and who knows what else; not a single instrument was used.

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10
1- I think Insanity Wolf is funny.
10- I think Insanity Wolf gives great advice.
SSSoFAGTiaCaGwaP-9/10  

Several Species completely befuddles me; no matter how many times I listen to it, I still don’t get it. So many different sounds happen at once that I just can’t catch them all. I wonder what each sound is supposed to be (especially that “aaahhh weee aaaahhhh whoooo” in the middle section) and how the hell did Waters make that sound? What is the drunken pict (Scotsman) saying? (I think he is saying “and the wind cries Mary at the end”). And the most important question that comes to mind is what was Waters thinking? Because no one in their right mind would think this was an awesome jam to listen to (I am not in my right mind).

Yet despite all that confusion, there is no denying the genius in what Waters did. I can’t help but feel awe-struck and inspired when I listen to this song. It is completely unbelievable that every sound in this song is made by a human. The song is a testament to the power and unlimited potential of human creativity. Several Species is a proof of concept; recording techniques and sampling alone can be used to make music. This concept has really come into its own in the music industry this last decade; sampling is an integral part of countless genre and bands. Now I am not an expert on the history of music, but I do not think it is a stretch to say that Several Species was one of the early influences that led to this phenomena.

And I know I might be a complete weirdo for saying this, but Several Small Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict makes me groove along with them. 

Aaahhh weee aaaahhhh whoooo!!!!!!

Elliott's Eccentricities- The Rake's Song by The Decemberists

A song has to be truly incredibly for one to love it despite completely hating what it says in its lyrics. Rap is usually a good example of this for me, with rappers commonly using absolutely brilliant lines to effectively act like a peacock, strutting about with all of its feathers out, showing how amazing they are. A famous line around the Frog on a Log office is Lil Wayne’s line in 3 Peat, “Shit, get on my level, you can’t get on my level. You will need a space shuttle or a ladder that’s forever” ( I argue that a ladder is the lesser option, what happens if you fall off?). This lyric is nothing more than petty showboating, yet the image it provides is just brilliant. Yet despite the prevalence of the awesome-song-terrible-message effect in rap, it is not unknown to other genres. To that effect I present The Rake’s Song from The Decemberist’s The Hazards of Love.

Before I get into The Rake’s Song, I think that it is necessary to give a short description of The Hazards of Love to provide some context. The Hazards of Love is a wonderful concept album (I am a HUGE sucker for concept albums) that tells tragic love story of a girl Margaret and William, the adopted son of a fairy queen. Long story short, they meet, fall for each other, get it on, and get insta-pregnant. William’s mom finds out and isn’t happy so William decides to run away with his love, only to find that she has been kidnapped by a rake named “The Rake” (a rake is a dissolute person, look it up). Anywho, William chases after her, saves her, and then (spoilers) everyone dies (except the queen).

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10
1- I believe in ghosts
10- I believe I am a ghost ( haven’t you seen the sixth sense?!?!)
The Rake’s Song-2/10

The first half of the album serves as the setup for the action that is to take place in the second act. Everything is all hunky dory until after the interlude when The Rake’s Song explodes onto the scene. The song signals that the villain has arrived and that shit is about to go down.  The Rake is the most despicable person I have ever heard of which is saying a lot seeing as I know Steve personally. Not only is he a complete womanizer/rapist and murdered his children, but he appears to be proud of it! Take a look at the picture from the album art below, nothing says “I am evil” like the look on his face, the pose he is striking, his terrifying bushy eyebrows and comb-over, and the FREAKING RATS used to frame him. He is made out to be Hitler’s best man. Yet The Rake’s Song makes me fall completely in love with him.

Is it just me or does he sport a uni-brow? 

The song completely rocks out; the amazing combination of repetitive chords, booming baseline, and kick-ass drums are amazing to listen to with the speakers turned up to 11. John and I both agree that the “all-right”s in the song are the third greatest “all-right”s in music history ( Revolution by the Beatles and Hey Ya by Outcast taking spots number one and two respectively).  I just can’t help belting out the lyrics.

But the lyrics are awful! They are incredibly chauvinistic, violent, and despicable. Yet despite the terrible things they say, the way that they are said is quite beautiful. The line “Until her womb started spilling out babies, Only then did I reckon my curse” is expressed in the most wonderful way, the word choice excellently establishes the rake’s attitude. Why say “I started to kill my children” when you could say “So my burden I began to divest”? The lyrics are elegant poetry that describes a truly horrific person; the contrast between the two just strengthens the power of both.

I love this song because it makes the rake one of the most powerful characters in the album despite his minimal presence (he only sings in 2 of the seventeen songs, and barely mentioned in 3 others). He is larger than life; I absolutely love to hate him. So whenever I listen to The Rake’s Song I find myself singing along, simultaneously praising him and hating him. I just hope that there aren’t any girls or people who love children around whenever I do. 

Elliott's Eccentricities- No Future by Rah Bras and Fantasy by DyE

My original plan for Elliott’s Eccentricities this week was to talk about the absolutely bizarre and amazing music video of Peacebone by Animal Collective. However, Steve stole that privilege from me earlier this week by featuring it as a track of the moment. At first I felt defeated until I discovered two absolutely erratic music videos that blow Peacebone’s weird alien date out of the water. So in an effort to not only 1-up Steve, but to 2-up him, I present two completely terrifyingly eccentric music videos, Fantasy by DyE and No Future by Rah Bras.

Now all three music videos produce the same reaction in the viewer; Wtf?!?!?! What the hell is going on here? However, the intensity of this reaction is different from video to video. I am going to give you, o humble reader, a fair warning that you will promptly ignore. If Peacebone made you uncomfortable, then you probably want to stop reading now. Peacebone is the bunny slope to No Future’s black diamond and to Fantasy’s Mt. Everest. In other words, if you didn’t like Peacebone, these will scar you. But if you’re like me, and Peacebone tickled your insanity bone and left you craving more, then these two videos are just the fix you need.

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10

1-   I dance to Glee

10- I dance to the Beatles's Revolution 9

No Future song- 5/10

No Future video- 7/10

Fantasy song- 1/10

Fantasy video- 8/10

 First up, I give you No Future (much to John's displeasure). And it is important that you actually pay attention to these warnings.

1. Watching this on drugs is probably a bad idea.

2. DO NOT WATCH THIS IF YOU’RE EPILEPTIC!

3. DO NOT WATCH THIS IF YOU’RE EPILEPTIC!
4. DO NOT WATCH THIS IF YOU’RE EPILEPTIC!

                I wouldn’t call No Future a good song. The opening electronic sounds, drums, and cheering got me excited for an awesome jam. This expectation was further raised by the awesome riff that plays while the doors are opening. I felt like I was being led into a secret underground facility that is being used to contain pure musical awesomeness. What I got was very disappointing musically; the anticipation leads to nothing the song sort of devolves.
                However, when that last door opened, pure visual insanity was released on my brain. The giant cat thingy (I think it’s supposed to be cat-like) is obviously brilliant, but it is the little details that I really love. The multicolored people flying around the screen and dancing on its body, the wonderful multicolored background, and the random subliminal images popping in and out make my brain feel like its exploding. For two minute I was jaw dropped as the insanity took control of my senses. I have never dropped acid, but this is exactly what I imagine it being like. I am also convinced that Rah Brahs hate epileptics.

Next I give you Fantasy. Epileptics are in the clear for this one, but acid is definitely not a good idea. Not for the squeamish. Also it is NSFW, which I really wish the friend who showed this to me had told me before I watched it at work.

                The music in this song is actually pretty damn awesome and I am definitely going to check out DyE now (expect a “new album of three weeks ago” by them in three weeks). However it is not very eccentric. The video however, is completely fantastic. The animation is really wonderfully drawn, but that has nothing on the level of crazy. At first I was just expecting a funny video of teenage shenanigans. But then in one moment, everything just explodes into awesome and questions flood my mind. Why did any of this happen? Were they monsters the whole time? Is that Cthulhu at the end of the video? Why the crotch? Dear God why the crotch?!? To answer my questions I came up with a theory as to what happened. Obviously the pool was a portal to another world (specifically Cthulhu’s domain). When the kids jump into the pool, they are either replaced or transformed into monsters. I still don’t know how to answer the last two questions.

Really... why the crotch!?!?!

Elliott's Eccentricities- Hocus Pocus by Focus

Before I begin the inaugural post of “Elliott’s Eccentricities” I wanted to let you know who I am and how this column came to be a thing. You see, I have been a core member of the Frog on a Log music think-tank since the blog’s rebirth in December. I have spent countless hours in the office discussing anything and everything about music with main columnists, Mark and Steve, and guest columnists Eric and John. One might say that I am the fifth musketeer who stays behind to feed their horses when they're out on their adventures. 

You see, I haven’t contributed any writing up until this point because I haven’t felt like I have any expertise that the blog needs. My knowledge of music is not nearly as expansive as Steve’s, I do not have Mark’s patience to shift through countless new bands to find awesome new acts, nor Eric’s ability to appreciate lots of rap, and I certainly don’t have John’s knack for writing brilliant perspectives on music. What do I have that makes me stand out? What could I possibly write about that my colleagues couldn’t do better?

And then it hit me, I am incredibly eccentric. I am that crazy uncle who plays the bagpipe that shows up at family reunions with a pet peacock. The person who saw an Oreo and thought, "that would be delicious fried". Though I do love a great deal of normal music, nothing tickles my music-love-bone more then something off-beat and somewhat insane. So prepare yourself for the not-so-ordinary, for insane-nonsensical lyrics, for eclectic instrumentation. Some songs you might know, others you might not. But one thing is for certain, they will always be eccentric.

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10

1- I cut the crust off my PB&J.

10- I don't use bread, I just mix the PB&J in my mouth.

Hocus Pocus- 6/10

I can’t think of a better way to start off this section then with the song that was the “gateway drug” to my eccentric side, Hocus Pocus by Focus. Hailing from the beautiful Netherlands, Focus is a prog-rock band from the 1970’s (though they are still performing to this day). Never quite as popular as other prog-rock acts of the time (ELO, Yes, Kansas) they are unfortunately mostly forgotten nowadays. “Hocus Pocus” was their biggest hit in the U.S, hitting #9 of the singles chart in 1973. Yet this single version is lackluster compared to the lengthy album version from their 1971 album Focus II (aka Moving Waves).

I first heard this track by accident in high school. I was just growing into my love of music, searching iTunes and grabbing any classic rock songs that I knew. I was very rigid about what type of music I listened to at the time (basically “Beatles or bust”). While exploring the deep cuts section of iTunes’s classic rock playlist, I came across “Hocus Pocus”. I listened to the 30 second sample of the song’s amazing main riff. Thinking it was a different song, I instantly bought it. I had no idea what was in store for me.

The song makes me think of a man fighting to keep a grip on his sanity. It kicks off with a riff that can be best described as a fairly generic, yet fabulous, classic rock riff. Just as you are lured into expecting a generic chorus, something unsettling happens; Keyboardist Thijis van Leer starts yodeling. Then the riff returns, trying to re-establish control and normality, only to be usurped by a return of yodeling. From here, “normality” ups the ante by throwing in an insane guitar solo which can only be described as “wondrously face-melting”. Like a movie about the cold war, this action only prompts another act of escalation; van Leer begins to sing complete gibberish over a honkey-tonk like organ. The war continues to evolve with ever intensifying guitar and drum solos competing against whistling, accordion, and something that can only be described as the jazz flute straight out of Anchor Man. All of the conflict culminates in insane laughter alongside the riff in a perfect finish.

It is a real shame that “Hocus Pocus” never really caught on, the world of music could really use more yodeling and gibberish. The rest of Focus’s music is not bad, but doesn’t have the same level of insanity as this track. Unfortunately not every song they made is a yodeling epic. Their other hit, “Sylvia” is far more normal. Besides that, I regret to inform you that I do not know of any other yodeling epics out there. If you happen to know of one, please let me know, sadly my world is very lacking in the yodeling department.