It is now clear to me that Europe is entirely empty of cultural value. I've already discussed the "Kuschel Song" in an earlier post, but another equally demonic creation has recently come to my attention. "Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil" reached number 1 on the German pop charts in January of 2005. Consequently, any claims purporting the cultural richness of Germany made after this date are null and void. Here's Schnappi in his glory:
I also found this English translation of Schnappi, so you can fully appreciate just how ridiculous this little Krokodil is.
"I am Snappy the Little Crocodile, I come from Egypt. I live out on the Nile. At first I was inside an egg, and then - Schni schnap! - I finally got away. (Chorus) I am Snappy the Little Crocodile, I have sharp teeth. I have a pretty smile! I'll snap at you - you'd better watch your tail, I'll snap at me, because I snap so well! (Chorus) I am Snappy the Little Crocodile, When I play I'm snapping all the while, At the crypt I make the mummies run, But when I snap I'm only having fun! (Chorus) I am Snappy the Little Crocodile, When I play I try not to go wild, When my Daddy puts me to bed, I go to sleep and bite him on the leg. (Chorus)"
It's things like this that tempt me to create a Second Life account.
Howdy old friends. Sorry for the prolonged absence. I spent a week laid up with a vicious Austrian flu. I'll spare you the details, but, suffice to say, blogging was the last thing on my mind. Anyway, my language class ended last Friday, so I have nothing better to do make up for the past week's negligence with an epic post to get the blog back on track. So, without further do, here's the biggest, loudest, hairiest post of all.
First off, the Reader's Digest version of the last 10 days. When last we left our merry adventurer, he was approaching the dramatic conclusion of the three-week intensive Deutschkurse. Strangely enough, we took our final exam on the 11th day of class, so we had four more classes post-final. Unfortunately, I took ill on Wednesday, and though I managed to drag myself to the final two classes, I had to bail on a concert I had planned on going to. I was growing increasingly concerned that my health would be keep me from the Trinity-organized trip to Graz (the second biggest city in Austria and, more importantly, the hometown of Arnold Schwarzenegger). Short of being soaked in liquid nitrogen, nothing could have kept me from completing such a sacred pilgrimage. My determination was rewarded by a beautiful city and a welcome respite from my bed. Because of its close proximity to the border, Graz displays a more prominent Italian influence than Vienna. The bustling piazzas, narrow alley ways, and ample supply of gelato were all friendly reminders of my time in Italy. After a few more days in bed, classes started on Tuesday. Well, a class at least-our Thought and Culture in Vienna course taught by our fearless program coordinator Gerhard.
Fortunately, I was totally healthy in time for last night's Black Dice show. I had pretty high-expectations going in, and I was not disappointed. Sonically, they're just light years ahead of almost anything else I've ever heard. What makes Black Dice unique amongst their peers in experimental music is their ability to use alien sounds in almost-familiar way. There will be moments when you can ground your listening in a steady, danceable rhythm, and then all of a sudden another heavily syncopated rhythm will creep in on top of it. I still don't totally understand how they make those sounds, but this video is a cool introduction. Though their set was just a contiguous flow of sound, there were clearly discernible songs, including my favorite Black Dice song "Kokomo", off of last year's Load Blown. The video perfectly expresses Black Dice's trademark juxtaposition of the familiar with the bizarre. Check it out.
Next up on the hit parade, brother Tim has entered the blogging fray, so be sure to check out his musings. His "hand written radio station" will focus on reviews of some of his favorite individual pop songs. Seeing as Tim is studying contemporary pop music, his insights are slightly more trenchant than my own clueless thoughts. I'm sure once he gets going, they'll be a regular dialog between the blogs, so keep an eye out for that.
For a long time, Tim and I have been huge fans of Andrew W.K., without a doubt one of the strangest and most brilliant figures in pop music today. If you haven't read it already, his wikipedia page is truly remarkable. I can't imagine there are too many other artists who have collaborated with Wolf Eyesand also licensed songs to Girls Gone Wild. Anyway, somehow Andrew found time between his motivational speaking engagements and producing Lee "Scratch" Perry's new album to write a song in honor of...The McLaughlin Group! He wrote the song for Public Radio International's program Fair Game with Faith Salie. As if there was any doubt, it's awesome. You can listen to the whole program by following the link above. Andrew is the second segment, and it's worth listening to the short interview with him. For those of you demanding immediate gratification, here's the song: McLaughlin Groove - Andrew W.K.
Finally, I want to honor a song I've been searching for since high school, to no avail. One evening many years ago, when Tim and I were listening to KXCI, Tucson's community radio station, we heard a brilliant song by Tucson legend Al Perry called "We Got Cactus." The song was a pitch-perfect tribute to Tucson, equal parts sarcasm and earnest affection. A few days ago, Tim stumbled across a great live version (featuring Calexico and Mariachi Luz de Luna) on Perry's myspace page. Only then did we discover that Perry's rendition is actually a cover--the original was performed by 80s Tucson hardcore group Blood Spasm. Buoyed by our rediscovery of the song, we redoubled our efforts to track down both the original and the Al Perry version. Thanks to an assist from John, we managed to track them down Tuesday night. Over the past few months, I've come to realize just how much I love Tucson, and being out of the country has intensified my nostalgia. So in tribute to my hometown, here's "We Got Cactus", in all its glory. We Got Cactus - Al Perry We Got Cactus - Blood Spasm
It is now clear to me that Europe is entirely empty of cultural value. I've already discussed the "Kuschel Song" in an earlier post, but another equally demonic creation has recently come to my attention. "Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil" reached number 1 on the German pop charts in January of 2005. Consequently, any claims purporting the cultural richness of Germany made after this date are null and void. Here's Schnappi in his glory: