Soul Coughing has been one of my favorite bands for quite some time and if you do not own any of their 3 albums, i highly recommend adding them to your lacking collection..
Irresistible Bliss contains 12 songs that are just amazing... i give 7 of the 12 songs 5 stars and the other 5 are definite 4 stars.. the band is made up of 4 guys.. drums, singer/guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist.. i'm not sure how to spell their names or i'd insert them here.. the drummer is sick... been featured in a few articles of Modern Drummer over the years.. plays some crazy beats and does it on a piece-of-shit drum set.. in most of their songs, you'll hear the keyboardist playing some crazy stuff in the background, which adds that "signature" in my opinion.. the bassist usually plays a big upright bass fiddle looking thing.. these guys are insane..
i love mike doughty (singer) and what he does lyrically.. first off, i totally dig his vocal style-- kind of speaking, kind of singing, all done in a low, growly range...while in college, he studied words, their meanings, how you speak them, and how changing things around can add or take away effect... he reminds me of e.e. cumming in this respect, one of my favorite poets.. much of his lyrics are "out there" a bit, but i think that's what makes this music great.. he has published a couple books of poems that are great to read as well.. he's always thought of himself as a poet and it comes across that way..
"super bon bon" starts off the record.. probably their most well'known song.. "move aside and let the man go through" is the big hook that sticks it to you.. i think the first verse really shows how doughty can put some sick words together..
"if i stole.. somebody else's wave to fly up..
if i rose up or put the avenue behind me
some kind of verb, some kind of moving thing... some thing unseen... some hand is motioning..
to rise, to rise, to rise"
"soft serve" is just a classic, classic song.. totally rocks.. "everybody likes soft serve" and it's true.. great song to chill out to on the deck at night.. when you listen to this song, mosquitos will land to listen too...
"white girl" "soundtrack to mary" and "lazybones" are so worth checking out.. same formula of wild lyrics, solid unorthodox drumming, strange sounds from the keys.. this all makes so much sense to me musically..
"4 out of 5" is doughty at his best.. strange stuff, that is just beautiful.. it starts out with:
"her knees thrust in one direction like a symbol in math, the symbol meaning greater than..
i come recommended by 4 out of 5 on the factor in the whole plan"
(tell your foxy mama that her legs look like the symbol in math for "greater than"-- she'll dig it for sure!!)
"idiot kings" is awesome.. totally worth 99 cents on itunes or wherever.. one of my favorite tunes of any band.. listen to the drum beat.. almost a disco feel with rimshots on that crap snare he has (most live shows, their drummer will have 2 highhats, with one of them comprised of 2 big ride cymbals.. totally wacky)
last song on the disc is a fav of mine too "how many cans".. i've always had this as my message on my phone that pops up when you turn it on.. i think it's just a sick lyric that puts it just how it should be...
"how many cans must i stack up, to wash you out from my mind, out of my consciousness?"
alot of people have thought this same thought over the years, and doughty spells it out perfectly.. it's a great thing to reflect on..
enjoy this record.. i know i have.. ez
Irresistible Bliss contains 12 songs that are just amazing... i give 7 of the 12 songs 5 stars and the other 5 are definite 4 stars.. the band is made up of 4 guys.. drums, singer/guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist.. i'm not sure how to spell their names or i'd insert them here.. the drummer is sick... been featured in a few articles of Modern Drummer over the years.. plays some crazy beats and does it on a piece-of-shit drum set.. in most of their songs, you'll hear the keyboardist playing some crazy stuff in the background, which adds that "signature" in my opinion.. the bassist usually plays a big upright bass fiddle looking thing.. these guys are insane..
i love mike doughty (singer) and what he does lyrically.. first off, i totally dig his vocal style-- kind of speaking, kind of singing, all done in a low, growly range...while in college, he studied words, their meanings, how you speak them, and how changing things around can add or take away effect... he reminds me of e.e. cumming in this respect, one of my favorite poets.. much of his lyrics are "out there" a bit, but i think that's what makes this music great.. he has published a couple books of poems that are great to read as well.. he's always thought of himself as a poet and it comes across that way..
"super bon bon" starts off the record.. probably their most well'known song.. "move aside and let the man go through" is the big hook that sticks it to you.. i think the first verse really shows how doughty can put some sick words together..
"if i stole.. somebody else's wave to fly up..
if i rose up or put the avenue behind me
some kind of verb, some kind of moving thing... some thing unseen... some hand is motioning..
to rise, to rise, to rise"
"soft serve" is just a classic, classic song.. totally rocks.. "everybody likes soft serve" and it's true.. great song to chill out to on the deck at night.. when you listen to this song, mosquitos will land to listen too...
"white girl" "soundtrack to mary" and "lazybones" are so worth checking out.. same formula of wild lyrics, solid unorthodox drumming, strange sounds from the keys.. this all makes so much sense to me musically..
"4 out of 5" is doughty at his best.. strange stuff, that is just beautiful.. it starts out with:
"her knees thrust in one direction like a symbol in math, the symbol meaning greater than..
i come recommended by 4 out of 5 on the factor in the whole plan"
(tell your foxy mama that her legs look like the symbol in math for "greater than"-- she'll dig it for sure!!)
"idiot kings" is awesome.. totally worth 99 cents on itunes or wherever.. one of my favorite tunes of any band.. listen to the drum beat.. almost a disco feel with rimshots on that crap snare he has (most live shows, their drummer will have 2 highhats, with one of them comprised of 2 big ride cymbals.. totally wacky)
last song on the disc is a fav of mine too "how many cans".. i've always had this as my message on my phone that pops up when you turn it on.. i think it's just a sick lyric that puts it just how it should be...
"how many cans must i stack up, to wash you out from my mind, out of my consciousness?"
alot of people have thought this same thought over the years, and doughty spells it out perfectly.. it's a great thing to reflect on..
enjoy this record.. i know i have.. ez
Good stuff, ez - I'll have to check it out. Remind me to dig out the pictures of our "wall o' cans" from EMU & "The Pyramid Of Diet Beast" from the days when W. Cross lived on Juvenile. We washed a lot from our minds back in the day - still kinda soggy now that I think about it.
ReplyDeleteGreat info EZ. Certainly worth a look. This is exactly the reason I started RHT, to get insight into music I don't necessarily know much about. Excuse me while I go download now.
ReplyDeleteAlright EZ, you hooked me with your review. I know I've heard this band, but I can't remember where or when. Anyone else get that? ha. I'll post again after a listen. I dig any band with a keyboard - it gives the music a soul.
ReplyDeleteyou guys won't be let down.. and if you are, you suck..
ReplyDeleteez
Harsh bastard are you.
ReplyDelete