Too Many Zooz

This band have been my fave for like the last three months and my love for them has not waned.  You may have seen the viral video on Facebook, of Too Many Zooz's saxophonist and drummer busking on a New York subway platform (if you haven't you need to).  That was where I first encountered them; turns out there's also a trumpet player and two full albums available on Spotify!

Too Many Zooz play music like I've never heard before.  Most of it is instrumental, athough they enlisted a number of guest vocalists to rap on a few tracks on their album Subway Gawdz.  Sometimes they invoke Latin brass music, reminiscent of the Dexter soundtrack; other times you can definitely hear a heavy jazz influence; but the off key trumpet sections and dramatic crescendos make me think more of contemporary drum and bass or dubstep (is dubstep even a thing anymore?).

The earliest album on Spotify, Fanimals, is only six tracks long but not a single one of them is bad.  I love that album so much right now.  I would probably say Subway Gawdz is the slightly more accessible of the two however, since Fanimals is completely instrumental and I think a lot of people find it difficult to get used to a lack of vocals.

Whichever album you're listening to though, it's loud, it's dirty, it's different, it's in your face, and I think it's bloody fantastic.  I can't get enough, and I can't not dance whenever they're playing.  If you're looking for something new to listen to/obsess over, and are willing to approach with an open mind, you should definitely seek out Too Many Zooz.  Ugh, I can't even convey to you how good they are - seriously, go listen to them.

I was so disappointed to find out that I missed their recent live appearances in London by just a couple of months - hopefully they'll come back in the future, I'll be there in a shot.

Saxophonist Leo P also plays in Lucky Chops, who - from what I've heard - play more traditional big band music, similar to the swing-style work from the Cherry Poppin' Daddies.  I haven't made as much of an effort to listen to their stuff to be honest, they sound good but they're just coming from a different place to TMZ.

I'm always interested in discovering bands who offer something new, and Too Many Zooz are the best example of that I've encountered in a long time.

The Cherry Poppin' Daddies

To be honest, the band name may be enough in itself to lure you in - I know it was for me.

The Cherry Poppin' Daddies are a versatile bunch; I think it would be fair to say that they mainly stick to the ska genre, but that isn't really my bag. If it is yours however, then by all means check out their recent compilation, Skaboy JFK. Even for someone not that keen on ska, there are some very good songs on there - Hi and Lo is pretty catchy.
 
The Daddies have a useful habit of combining all of their songs which are of a similar style on compilations. The one which I listen to a ridiculous amount is Zoot Suit Riot, which contains most of their swing inspired tunes. And it is fantastic: Steve Perry's swarthy, jaunty voice, combined with high octane drums and about as much brass as you could possibly handle, make for maybe the most fun album I've reviewed here.

This album is musically accomplished but makes it look oh so easy, combining a classic style of crooning with some casual cursing, adult content and often comical lyrics. They just have it all!

Their more recent album, Susquehanna is also excellent, often channeling a more 'flamenco' vibe with a lot of Spanish guitar and frantic beats. Roseanne is a long-standing favourite of mine, filled with passion and emotion and beautiful lyrics, showing yet another string to this group's (if anything, too stringy) bow. The Mongoose and the Snake is another brilliant track on that album, but I can't just sit here listing all of the brilliant songs the Cherry Poppin' Daddies have penned - that would make for a very long and boring article and a tired Spodle.

... well, just one more: the first song I actually heard by CPD was Irish Whiskey which appears on two of their albums, which has much more of a classic rock feel to it, though with some ska elements (depending on which version you listen to - I prefer the Soul Caddy one) and the dizzying momentum and string accompaniment associated with the American Irish tradition of Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys. If you like those bands, I imagine you would like the Cherry Poppin' Daddies - it would be difficult not to find something you like amongst their plethora of different albums and styles.

Haunted

Chuck Palahniuk is best known for his novel Fight Club, which became the incredibly successful cult movie directed by David Fincher. Fight Club is probably the novel I enjoyed least by Palahniuk however - perhaps because I was already such a big fan of the film and it therefore seemed to hold nothing new for me (I had the same problem with King's The Green Mile when I finally read it last year).  Haunted was the first book of his that I read, and it's a strange one that's for sure. Nevertheless it secured my appreciation for Palahniuk's work and I have subsequently worked my way through most of his bibliography.

Part of what makes Haunted so engaging is its unusual format: a series of short stories embedded into the main plot and authored by the main characters. The over-arching plot centres on a group of writers attempting to 'find' their masterpiece by taking part in a retreat based on the visit made by Lord Byron and Mary Shelley amongst others to the Villa Diotati in 1816 (this is where Shelley came up with the idea for Frankenstein).  The characters are known only by nicknames which are explained in the short stories making up every other chapter and providing autobiographical information in flash-back form.

When the writers are unexpectedly trapped in the abandoned theatre they have chosen as their hermitage, in true dark and surreal style from Palahniuk they do not behave as expected. Each writer more desperate for fame than anything else, they endeavour to make their situation worse in the knowledge that a harrowing, near-death experience will give their story importance and mystery when they are inevitably rescued. Cue wastage of the dwindling food supplies, self-mutilation and plots to sabotage the other residents (each character reasoning that the fewer survivors, the better their story).

As is always the case with Palahniuk's writing, both the mini back stories and the events which transpire within the framing narrative are often gruesome, graphic and shocking. Be prepared for necrophilia, cannibalism, suicide and much more as the tale unfolds. The writer's - clearly - odd imagination births a series of disturbing scenes which create a satirical view of modern life and the pursuit of fame and integrity. This is a mood which runs through all of Chuck Palahniuk's work (I would recommend Choke and Lullaby as two more of my favourites as well).

The macabre and almost nightmarish feel of this cult writer's work, along with the cynicism of his narrators and post-modern writing style, really emphasises his message about people's ability to distance themselves from the horrors of modern life. He paints a shallow, vindictive picture of society - almost comical in its cruelty - which, although entertaining and thought provoking, could definitely get you down if you read too much at once.

Another Earth

This is what is going to be an uncommon occurrence - a film review.  For the simple reason that advertisement of films is an easy and immediate process; you see a trailer and know whether you want to watch it.  So good films get watched by a lot of people.  This isn't necessarily the case with music (as many great albums take several listens to make an impact) and even less so with books. A blurb is a pitiful excuse for a word trailer.  However, if I know of a great film which I believe to be under-valued I will give it a mention - such as now with this one. 

Another Earth was released in 2011 and won awards at the Maui and Sundance Festivals that year.  On the face of it, it's a sci-fi centring on the discovery of a nearby planet identical to Earth; not only host to intelligent life but an echo of our world - same cities, same people, same lives and events.  This element of the film takes a back seat however, to make room for the story of Rhoda Williams.  

Brit Marling plays the young woman whose prospects are shattered by a horrific accident in which her mistakes lead to the deaths of a woman and child.  Four years on we rejoin her life, freed from incarceration but forced by anxiety, depression and a criminal record to take on a cleaning job at her former school.

She seeks out the man (played by William Mapother) who's wife and child were killed because of her and - by an unusual but believable series of events - takes a job cleaning his house, whose dingy interior and state of disrepair reflect clearly that his life too, has become empty and miserable.  The four years have led to acceptance of his loss, but made it no less painful.

Throughout the film, the two become closer and their hesitant friendship brings some brightness to each of their lives. This relationship and its journey towards inevitable complications and heartbreak makes for a compelling human drama, set against the constant backdrop of 'Earth 2' and the inescapable news coverage of its discovery.  Beautiful cinematography and the constant image of the mirror planet hanging in the sky contrasts with the bleak reality of the two main characters' lives.  

The unsteady, sometimes blurry handheld camera work which marks this out as a low-budget independent film - as well as the extremely subtle acting by the two leads - creates a strong feeling of realness which lays the tragic subject matter bare.  

This film is extremely affecting.  Its themes of pain and loss really bring home the randomness of the universe and how everything can change in an instant. And the fact that a lot about the newly discovered Earth is not revealed keeps the viewer's interest alive.  You can't help but be intrigued by the idea of a parallel planet and its implications.

Another Earth is a beautiful, engaging story of pain, dark truths, love and relationships.  Maybe not suitable if you're looking for an evening of light viewing but it's wonderful and you should watch it.

The Dresden Dolls

I absolutely effing love the Dresden Dolls.  They are sublime.

Amanda Palmer's wailing vocals and off-key piano playing may not be for everyone but to me they embody everything I love about 'weird' music.  Weird means different, means like nothing you've heard before.  It means original and unique, and that's what I look for in a band.

Their début album - my favourite - ranges from the manic silliness of Girl Anachronism and Coin-Operated Boy to the sad, soulful vulnerability of Half Jack, with Palmer's fun and poetic lyrics often touching on something deep, dark and disturbing - like in the troubling Slide.

Brian Viglione's drumming is punchy and imaginative, keeping the songs strong and surprising. The two elements of the band work together perfectly and it's a testament to their genius that they can achieve so complete a sound without guitar or bass players.

Dresden Dolls' mix of cabaret, twisted classical crescendo and punk makes for fresh and beautiful listening.  Their self-titled first album is one of those records that comprises brilliant songs but also comes together as a whole to create a work of art; a sepia-toned, Plath-inspired, pain-tinged, musically accomplished masterpiece that never fails to touch and engage me.

I know a lot of people won't like this album - it's definitely a grower - but I think it's awesome and everyone should give them a listen.

This is a song from their second album, which is creeping ever closer to the first's top spot the more I listen to it, as it has some wonderful songs on it.  Delilah has been a favourite for a while.