Pere Ubu – “Act 2 Scene 1″
Pere Ubu is not exactly a household word, but their art has influenced decades of popular and influential acts like the Pixies, Joy Division, REM, Bauhaus and others. The songs on their new album make up the backbone of a theatrical production, “Bring Me The Head Of Ubu Roi”, that premiered in 2008 at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. Based on the play “Ubu Roi” which premiered in Paris in 1896 provoking riots, the story is a re-telling of “Macbeth,” as a ruthless satire of the bloated and corrupt state of pre-World War I Europe. The new piece is “Brutal, lacking charm, and without redeeming values, an album for our times,” boasts Pere Ubu’s founder David Thomas, “It is, in fact, the only punk record that’s been made in the last 30 years.” Quite a statement, yet one that a man with his credentials can make, when the music and text is this far outside of the norm. Entertaining, scathing, and very funny work.
Pere Ubu
“Act 2 Scene 1″ (mp3)
from “Bring Me The Head Of Ubu Roi”
(Smog Veil Records)
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One of the first “sound board” crank call recordings to hit the Internets, and probably still the funniest, this mp3 features the unmistakable voice of bodybuilder, action movie star, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger calling Gateway Computers for some help. Gateway should give dear Kathy a medal for her professionalism, as she maintains composure under a barrage of meticulously timed Ah-nold samples from Terminator, Kindergarten Cop, Total Recall and other popcorn flicks. As silly as this is, it’s inspired art! Stop whining.
Arnold Calls Gateway mp3
Ah, the unspeakably funny and cringe-worthy Troggs tape. The gr8est fly on the wall document of a band melting down ever recorded. Often cited as the inspiration behind Spinal Tap, this fairly oozes absurdity and dysfunction. There’s a fine moment, when you hear the guitar player doing his part, and someone shouts “YEAH!” in the talk-back mic, the guitarist continues playing EXACTLY the same part, and the voice comes in again with “NO!” Shortly thereafter there is a sort of cackle, the unmistakable croak of a grown man cracking. Sickly pleasurable. They may not have gotten their number one out of this, but they sure have entertained millions of people with this unintended meme. For the band that did “Wild Thing,” tis an inglorious end. For the advanced class, try the Infamous Troggs Tapes Megamix.
The Infamous Troggs Tapes
((NSFWorky))
Ryan Adams calls Jim DeRogatis Answering Machine
Ryan Adams now legendary meltdown on Jim DeRogatis‘ answering machine made the rounds back in ‘04 and soon became immortalized on the Interwebs. Utterly hilarious, or unbearable depending on your perspective, this is what happens when an artist gets one too many personal insults from a critic, throws decorum to the wind and fires back. Little could Adams know that his rant would soon be downloaded millions of times and take on a momentum of its own. I happen to like Ryan Adams’ music a lot, but I think I’d be down with this even if I thought it was shite! Little lite humor for your holiday fun =)
