Consequence of Sound

mp3 Remix: Friday Mixtape LXII

Alex Young — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:00:28 +0000

For our American readers, a happy Fourth of July to you! For everyone else, a happy weekend to you! And like the awesomely awesome online music publication that we are, we got a treat for all of you. Ok, so it’s not on the Foo Fighters playing for Barack level and yes, it’s no different than what we present you every week, but hey, what else would you call a mix of this week’s new singles, remixes, and covers, along with mp3s from some up-and-comers. You’re welcome.

NEW Singles:

Covers, Remixes, and all that JAZZ:

Something to CHECK OUT:

“Stars Still Pretty” by Aeroplane Pageant
“Elegy” by Caroline Weeks
“Love is the Cost” by Divisible
“Coughing Boy” by Hollands
“Huntsville.ca” by Kevin Hearn & Thin Buckle
“Cool In The Cool Way” by My First Earthquake
“Lions” by Pacific Theater
“Beautiful Sin” by The Tender Box
“Kabarista Farewell” by Vagabond Opera
“To Clean” by Woods

Listen: April Smith and The Great Picture Show

Joe Stahl — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:00:35 +0000

April Smith, with her band, The Great Picture Show, is just inches away from hitting the mainstream beat. Some might say centimeters. She’s that close. Already her music’s found its way onto feature-length films, such as the Rob Schneider-led Wild Cherry, in addition to popular television shows like MTV’s The Hills and Newport Harbor. On the road, she’s opened up for Carrie Underwood, Sara Bareilles, and the Go-Gos, and that’s just naming a few. As if that weren’t enough, blog-wonderboy Perez Hilton ranted and raved about her, too. Yeah, we’ll go with centimeters.

Born in Toms River, New Jersey, Smith grew up in a household that encouraged her to go somewhere with her talent for music. From an early age, this young songstress listened to a messy tacklebox of artists, everyone from Tom Waits (she talks about him all the time) to The Andrew Sisters, Robert Plant, and John Lennon. What a combo, right?

With a mixture of her idols and her natural voice, Smith’s vocals never fail to serve as the focal point in her songs. Before she had The Great Picture show backing her up, her studio debut, loveletterbombs (2006), set her up as an alternative rock type, similar to Tori Amos — only with more grit and less pretension. Amidst her power ballads, there’s a youthful anguish in her front-and-center voice that sounds like something Eisley would call its own.

If the debut doesn’t give you an appetite for her music, then perhaps her follow-up EP, Live From The Penthouse, will. The EP, which was recorded at Tainted Blue Studios in Times Square (in front of a live audience, no less), has more of a vaudeville vintage sound with its organs, ’50s-style jazz piano comping, and two-step beats. And by the way Smith sounds on this EP compared to her debut, she’s matured some and grown into her voice. She is smooth, always confident, and does a great job of intertwining sexy soulfulness into her songs. Just take how she handles Motown (see track, “Drop Dead Gorgeous”). It’s just altogether sultry and seductive.

However, Live From The Penthouse doesn’t always stick to its retro motif. On the sing-along-friendly track, “Terrible Things”, Smith isn’t scared to expose her theatrical side as she shrills and wails in the song’s chorus. The song “Colors” is a fun, upbeat pop song that has Top 40 potential if it were to ever be recorded without the bustle of a live audience and the imperfections of a live set. However, it is still great the way it is now, especially when the quirky mouth trumpet bridge comes about midway through the song. “Beloved” is a stripped down acoustic song about a love so strong that she will “settle for your ghost.” As she croons lyrics about her broken heart, recognize the range and control of her god-given talent.

Check Out:

Clutch answers fans with more tour dates

Andy Keil — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:49 +0000

This week, Clutch, that stoner-rock band that refuses to sell out, will embark on yet another U.S. tour. Of course, given their yearly average of 100 shows, it’s more newsworthy when they aren’t on tour than when they are. And as we recently learned, we won’t have to worry about that anytime soon.

In support of their forthcoming album, Strange Cousins From The West, which hits stores on July 14th via Weathermaker Music, Clutch has added a fall leg to its now ongoing tour. And this time around, as per request, Canada will be getting in on the fun as well. The newly announced trek includes 27 shows, kicking off on September 10th in Buffalo, bringing the total of upcoming Clutch shows to over 50. Needless to say, if you want to see ‘em, you’ll have an opportunity.

Clutch 2009 Tour Dates:
07/03 - Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues
07/09 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
07/10 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
07/11 - Chicago, IL @ Kuma’s 4th Anniversary Block Party
07/12 - Sauget, IL @ Pop’s
07/14 - Dallas, TX @ House of Bles
07/15 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
07/17 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
07/18 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
07/19 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
07/20 - San Diego, CA @ Cane’s Bar and Grill
07/21 - Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues
07/22 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Center
07/24 - Seattle, WA @ The King Cat Theater
07/25 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
07/25 - Missoula, MT @ Wilma Theater
07/28 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
07/29 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
07/31 - Calgary, AB @ Flames Central
08/01 - Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Center
08/02 - Saskatoon, SK @ Odeon Events Center
08/05 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Garrick Center
08/06 - Milwaukee, WI @ Eagle’s Ballroom
08/07 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
08/08 - Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
09/09 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls
09/10 - Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
09/11 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Electric Factory
09/12 - Hartford, CT @ The Webster Theater
09/13 - Montreal, QC @ Lee Saints
09/15 - London, ON @ London Music Hall
09/16 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
09/18 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
09/19 - Jackson, MS @ Club Fire
09/20 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
09/22 - Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen
09/23 - Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
09/24 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
09/25 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Orbit Room
09/26 - Chicago, IL @ The Metro
09/27 - Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium
09/29 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
09/30 - Denver, CO @ The Fillmore
10/01 - Kansas City, MO @ The Beaumont Club
10/02 - Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre
10/03 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
10/04 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival
10/06 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
10/07 - Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
10/08 - Richmond, VA @ The National
10/09 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
10/10 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza

* = w/ Wino
^ = w/ Maylene and the Sons of Disaster

Lightning Dust shines Infinite Light everywhere

Alex Young — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:45:59 +0000

When not hanging with The Cave Singers — though, as you’ll see, that’s a rare occurrence — and getting down and dirty with their main outfit, Black Mountain, Amber Webber and Joshua Wells keep busy with quite the elaborate side project. I speak of Lightning Dust of course.

And in case you haven’t noticed, Webber and Wells are going to be quite busy with Lightning Dust in the coming months. In addition to the release of the band’s layered and lush, yet minimally aesthetic sophomore effort, Infinite Light, on August 4th, the duo has announced plans for a North American tour with, you guessed it, The Cave Singers. The fun kicks off on September 12th in Chicago.

But wait, don’t take your sunglasses off quite yet! Lightning Dust have also shelled out yet another song from their forthcoming release, this in the form of the moody “Never Seen”, which you can check out below.

Boy, I hope I don’t go blind…

Check Out:
“Never Seen”

Infinite Light Tracklist:
01. Antonia Jane
02. I Knew
03. Dreamer
04. The Times
05. Never Seen
06. History
07. Honest Man
08. Waiting On The Sun To Rise
09. Wondering What Everyone Knows
10. Taking It Home

Lightning Dust 2009 Tour Dates:
09/12 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas *
09/13 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick *
09/14 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *
09/17 - Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bear’s Place *
09/19 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
09/20 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
09/21 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat Backstage *
09/23 - Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe *
09/24 - Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree *
09/26 - Austin, TX @ The Mohawk *
09/29 - Phoenix, AZ @ Modified *
09/30 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Beauty Bar *
10/01 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *
10/02 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah *
10/06 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent *
10/10 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios *%

* = w/ The Cave Singers
% = w/ Elliot Brood

Could ABBA reunion serve as O2’s replacment for Michael Jackson?

Alex Young — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:05:13 +0000

Probably not, especially given that 50% of the legendary Swedish foursome, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, have long expressed their desire NOT to reunite, but ABBA is indeed rumored to be among the replacements being considered to fill the 50-date void now present in the schedule of London’s O2 Arena. Other possibilities reportedly (via AP) include an all-star Michael Jackson tribute show — featuring Madonna, Diana Ross, Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Barbra Streisand? — and a Jackson family concert, minus Michael, though neither of those two scenarios would likely be a realistic solution for more than a couple dates.

Hey, there’s always Disney On Ice…

Reports: Michael Jackson was back to being a music making machine

Alex Young — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:05:19 +0000

Another day, another revelation relating to Michael Jackson. As the dust begins to settle and more and more details begin to surface, we’re learning more about the most recent on goings of the pop icon, specifically that he was working on two new studio album at the time of his death.

According to Billboard.com, of the two projects, on was to be in the “pop vein that made him famous” while the other was an instrumental classical composition.

Of course, the former jives with what rapper Akon revealed earlier this week when he he told Billboard that he had been collaborating with Jackson on a new album. It is also believed that songwriter Claude Kelly, who wrote “Hold My Hand”, the Akon-produced Jackson that leaked last year, also had a hand in the album.

The latter of two, however, comes as some surprise. According to Billboard, composer David Michael Frank, who had previously worked with Jackson on 1989 TV tribute to Sammy Davis Jr., had begun collaborating with the musician in recent months as well, but for a something much more unique — an instrumental album consisting of orchestral driven classical music.

“He mentioned more instrumental music of his he wanted to record, including one jazz piece,” Frank said. “He had two demos of two pieces he’d written, but they weren’t complete…For one of them, he had a whole section of it done in his head. He had not recorded it. He hummed it to me as I sat at the keyboard in his pool house and we figured out the chords—I guess this recording I made is the only copy that exists of this music.”

Neither of the two releases are believed to be close to completion and there is no word on what the Jackson family plans to do with any of the material. Factor is the “mountain of unreleased recordings,” including unused tracks from studio sessions, recent collaborations and maybe even 7EVEN???, and it’s no wonder Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola is quoted as saying Jackson related releases “could go on for years and years — even more than Elvis.”

Speaking of Sony, the label has already announced plans for the release of a five-disc tribute set, which will reportedly consist of re-releases of Thriller, Off The Wall, Bad, Dangerous and Invincible. A release date has not yet been set.

In other words, start saving…

Album Review: La Roux - La Roux

Will Hines — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:15:57 +0000

La Roux is swimming against the current. At first, it appears a solo act, but look a little closer and you will find that alongside talented androgynous singer Elly Jackson sits Ben Langmaid, an equally able producer. They are a balanced duo, aping past influences Pet Shop Boys and Eurythmics. Duo’s lost out, however, to the Britpop and mainstream group era in the ’90s. On paper, La Roux’s kitschy electro-pop has no place in the modern world.

It’s a surprise, then, to see their steady rise on the charts, something I believe is largely down to Jackson. A childhood obsession with folk and rock music developed her songwriting skills (a shared task between the two), but also helps Jackson happily trample on the sensibilities of synth-pop. She isn’t trying to be anything other than herself, gloriously different and talented.

Second single “In For The Kill” spent a whole month at number two in the UK, a huge crossover hit that only really took on a higher meaning when handily assembled with some heavy bass foundations (namely in Croydon dubstep artist Skream’s tutelage). It’s a song that lends itself extremely well to reinvention, and numerous remixers have taken to it like a set of Meccano. The falsetto vocal is the key element, and Langmaid’s backing has been largely disregarded, the synth-pop removed to amp up floor-filler potential.

Jackson is a particularly versatile vocalist, harnessing numerous styles and an impressive range on La Roux’s self titled debut. She is the showman, strutting around in her Patrick Wolf-esque style with an impressive quif and colourful war paint — her eye liner spreading out into a solid block of colour around her eyes. Langmaid works behind the scenes (an arrangement that has infiltrated their live performances). From what I’ve seen, she is captivating, and Langmaid doesn’t impinge upon this, neglecting to take part in live performances, where two studio musicians bolster the sound.

“Tigerlily” showcases some bite, the same bouncy synth pop wrapped up with a fiery delivery. It’s sorely missed on some of the other efforts. There’s a notable cameo from Jackson’s father, too. It’s a low-key, personal affair, and the tinny production is the only other sign that this was made on a budget. “Quicksand” forces her back into the pleasantly screechy falsetto, this time matched for impact by jarring synth lines.

The arsenal also contains the chart topping “Bulletproof”, a bizarre mix of processed beats and an audacious vocoder breakdown… a tame “Courtship Dating”, if you like. The Crystal Castles comparison is not unfounded — Jackson is a more capable, less aggro Alice Glass, Langmaid and Ethan Khan similarly removed. Both bands are unlike anything I’ve seen in a long, long time.

Despite the originality, there is no real subtlety, their obsession with 80’s style electonica arrangements is clear to see. For the dance-floor, their own efforts are borderline, leaving this effort in No Man’s Land. Are they aiming for critical reception at the detriment of sales, or do La Roux dream of commercial success? I feel it’s almost out of their hands, although in the long term, their efforts may lean towards the latter, early material already showing ample reworking and single potential rather than that of album cohesiveness.

“Colourless Colour” marries electronic strings with a catchy floating verse. The album was born out of Jackson’s relationships, a fact that isn’t very obvious. The clearest hints are “I’m Not Your Toy” and “Fascination”, loved-up ballads with a twist, coming across all funky and upbeat: “It’s all false love and affection/You don’t want me, you just like the attention”

“As If By Magic” initially takes cues from Lily Allen’s “The Fear”. La Roux supported Allen on her recent tour, and they’ve obviously been taking notes. The vocal harmonies are on point, but the synths barrel their way into a song where they have no home. It is the only mark against an otherwise perfectly executed song.

Regardless, La Roux has made their point. Perhaps synth-pop is about to experience a renaissance? This is an excellent, inspired first effort from the duo, wholly unlike anything heard for the last 10 years but also commercially viable. The elements are all in place, but album number two will hopefully benefit from some more robust editing. There is, simply, more to come.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Check Out:

Buy:
La Roux

Akron/Family Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free for another few months…

Alex Young — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:45:03 +0000

Still very much all about being wild and free, Akron/Family has announced another leg of North American tour dates in support of their latest studio effort. Beginning later this month, the New York City-based outfit will kick off three months of engagements, consisting of both a slew of festival appearances and headlining club and theater dates. Joining them on their travels will be Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, Wooden Wand, and Slaraffenland, the latter of which will also be joining Akron/Family each night to provide the soothing sounds of horns.

Accompanying the tour will be the release of a series of Akron/Family 7″s, which will first be available to those who hit up one of the band’s shows. A more traditional release will take place afterward.

Akron/Family 7″s:
7″ #1 - Everyone is Guilty/Total Destruction
7″ #2 - River/Morning on Michigan Ave
7″ #3 - Many Ghosts/??!

Akron/Family 2009 Tour Dates:
07/22 - Cleveland, OH @ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
07/23 - Detroit Lakes, MN @ 10,000 Lakes Festival
07/24 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
07/25 - Calgary, AB @ Calgary Folk Festival
07/26 - Calgary, AB @ Calgary Folk Festival
07/29 - Steamboat Springs, CO @ Ghostranch Saloon
07/30 - Vail, CO @ The Sandpark
07/31 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
08/02 - Liberty Park, NJ @ All Points West
08/11 - Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel *
08/12 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
08/13 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *
08/14 - Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree *
08/15 - Asheville, NC @ Harvest Festival
08/28 - San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Festival
08/29 - Los Angeles, LA @ El Rey Theater
09/07 - Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot
09/08 - Portland, OR @ Baghdad Theatre
09/10 - Baltimore, MD @ Talking Head Club ^
09/11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s ^
09/12 - Monticello, NY @ ATP New York
09/14 - Hudson, NY @ Jason’s Upstairs ^#
09/15 - Williamsport, PA @ Site B ^#
09/16 - Ithaca, NY @ Castaways ^#
09/17 - Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place ^#
09/18 - London, ON @ LOLA Fest
09/19 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick ^#
09/20 - Louisville, KY @ 21C Museum Atrium Gallery ^#

* = w/ Wooden Hand
^ = w/ Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard
# = w/ Slaraffenland

Watch: Michael Jackson’s Final Rehearsals

Alex Young — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:15:15 +0000

Eerie? Certainly. Fascinating? Without a doubt. CNN has obtained footage of Michael Jackson rehearsing for his “This is it” London residency just two days before his death. The clip, which sees Jackson performing “They Don’t Care About Us”, appears to add some validity to the belief that the iconic pop star was indeed healthy in the days prior to his death.

As previously reported, there has been speculation that footage from Jackson’s final rehearsal, which was apparently recorded in multi-camera, high-definition video and multi-track audio, could be released in the coming months.

Cinema Sounds: Beavis & Butt-head Do America Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

David Buchanan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:30:51 +0000

What is there to say about Mike Judge’s magnum opus, Beavis and Butt-head? Everything has been thrown at these two obnoxious yet addictive animated metal heads. Spawned from MTV’s prime-time cartoon sludge fest Liquid Television (of Aeon Flux and Milton fame), characters Beavis and Butt-head were pegged as controversial by many, though lauded as idiot savants by a whole generation… and more! Even Patrick Stewart liked them, and in the mid-90s the two Highland,TX morons amassed a large following and in turn a 1996 feature film, Beavis and Butt-head Do America.

To clarify, Judge began with two animated shorts, the rambunctious duo that is Beavis and Butt-head and the lonely yet rattled Milton. By sheer coincidence, the pseudo-geniuses in music video critique became the basis for an entire series riddled with fart flames, head banging and rather cruel outlooks on ’80s bands, all glazed over with basic crude humor that hallmarked our nation’s “benevolent” youth. While Judge may be remembered now for his cult classic hit Office Space, or his longest running victory, King of the Hill, it’s the success of Beavis and Butt-head that allotted Judge these pop-culture marvels. So, what about …Do America?

The animated film was probably the last thing anyone expected to receive praise by Siskel & Ebert, but lo and behold the critics gave many positive reviews. And while it cost about five million to make (pocket change nowadays), …Do America grossed over $60 million dollars for its domestic box office run, a feat attributed to timing as the height of Beavis and Butt-head’s popularity only dwindled shortly thereafter. Though, in the moments before Judge’s creation found its grave, this movie became a pop culture icon cementing a laundry list of beyond stupid catchphrases like “Come to Butt-head!” or “I am Cornholio” into our feeble teen minds. The duo who shunned “wussy” bands like Winger or Poison and hailed both Metallica and Radiohead were given their own big screen debut, so one had to wonder what to expect from their corresponding soundtrack?

Turns out this album is essentially the love child of late ’90s alternative and Beavis and Butt-head-approved metal, only with a little comic relief for good measure — a perfect mix for such a confused yet brilliant decade. The on-screen duo get the ’70s buddy cop treatment with the late Issac Hayes turning their TV show theme song into the “Theme From Shaft”’s evil twin, and it’s all aptly titled, “Two Cool Dudes”. This is perceived by some as foreshadowing of Hayes’s later animated dealings, most specifically, his portrayal of Chef on South Park. Though as popular the Academy Award-winning composer was, he couldn’t compete with the album’s most popular track, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ envisioning of The Ohio Players tune, “Love Rollercoaster”. It was the first official single and remains an alternative radio staple with Flea’s infectious funk bass and Keidis’ muffled rap verses. It also became a favorite video on MTV2 featuring the band as animated theme park attendees/daredevils, naturally interspersed with footage from the movie (namely Beavis and Butt-head dancing in Las Vegas).

Switching gears (and genres), “Ain’t Nobody” by LL Cool J was the second single off the record, but unfortunately only charted at #46 in the States. For nostalgic fans, the song holds steady, but on the whole it feels out of place amidst the funk, punk and metal. Yes, the metal. Anyone who has actually seen this movie remembers Beavis’s desert hallucination vividly (noted by The Nostalgia Critic as #5 on his Top 11 Nostalgic Mindfucks countdown), and the ensuing sonic mayhem, as well.

Inspired by Rob Zombie’s artwork and played in sync to White Zombie’s “Ratfinks, Suicide Tanks & Cannibal Girls”, the imagery results from Beavis eating a cactus. The song itself makes for the soundtrack’s heaviest metal performance, second and third easily being AC/DC’s “Gone Shootin’” and Rancid ft. Stubborn All-Stars’ “I Wanna Riot”, respectively. Known as the final recording by White Zombie, as it hit streets around the release of Rob Zombie’s Hellbilly Deluxe, this segment of the film pays homage to Beavis and Butt-head’s critic days with Beavis claiming what he sees is “like a music video!” - and for the most part, he is right on the money.

Another interesting last (as well as first) is the track “Walk On Water” by none other than Ozzy Osbourne. While the demo was featured in the film, this polished studio version boasts the only performance of guitarist Joe Holmes on an Osbourne studio recording (though he was schooled by the late Randy Rhoads and co-wrote three tracks on Down To Earth before leaving the band). While not the best of the tracks in the Osbourne catalog, the notoriety it brings to this soundtrack leaves much to aspire towards, especially alongside White Zombie’s courteous donation.

Onto ’90s territory, we have the presence of some old school No Doubt (you know, before Stefani became the second coming of Cyndi Lauper?) and Butthole Surfers. In a similar fashion to Filter, Butthole Surfers have the one song everyone knows (”Pepper”), and a healthy dose of soundtrack appearances (MI:2, Romeo & Juliet, etc.). While Filter might have been much more successful in the long run, a Butthole Surfers song by band name alone is almost a necessity on the …Do America OST, and thus we get “The Lord Is A Monkey (Rock Version)” thrown in for good measure. A bit bizarre to the point of mimicking White Zombie in some aspects, this psychotropic sound scape fits well amongst the wickedness that is Beavis and Butt-head.

Complementing the funkier Red Hot Chili Peppers we get No Doubt’s “Snakes”, which rather than scoring two slackers, actually belongs in a strip club. In fact, the animators should have put in a deleted stripper scene specifically for this song, because the lyrics by themselves are only made more provocative with Stefani’s sexy vocals and the occasional wails (”Open the basket/listen to the flute play”). While it might have taken some practice to get the dancer’s rhythm on point, boy would that have been so worth it. Where the hell is Jessica Rabbit when you really need her?

Closing out this twisted joyride of musical gene splicing (perhaps “genre splicing”), we have a song covered by Engelbert Humperdinck entitled “Lesbian Seagull”, which is played by Beavis and Butt-head’s hippy school teacher during an FBI raid, and later during the end credits by Humperdinck himself. This acts as the album’s comic relief next to Hayes’s theme song interpretation, but even more, because it’s absolutely random by all accounts. It neither adds or takes away from the film, but if they had to pick a song for the hippy teacher’s “Kumbayah” moment I suppose this is as good a satirical jab as any.

Suffice it to say that in this site’s eyes, Beavis and Butt-head Do America was Mike Judge’s crowning achievement, surpassed only by Office Space for no other reason than the “O” face. Granted, …Do America was only as successful as the TV series allowed it to be, but let’s consider the name players involved, both musically or otherwise. It’s a rag tag team of Demi Moore, Bruce Willis and even the guy fromUnsolved Mysteries (Robert Stack, for those uninformed) — all of them had voices slapped to this very vulgar film. Nobody had seen such a transition from TV to film, at least not animated. In some respects, it was very influential on South Park’s Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, only Judge lacks that musical background that both Trey Parker and Matt Stone pride themselves in. Nevertheless, the soundtrack here, and the enormity of the bands present on it, is more than enough to make you want to go: “Come to Butt-head”.

This isn’t the only Beavis and Butthead-endorsed album. Before this, there was a little collection called The Beavis and Butt-head Experience, which featured prominently heavy metal bands praised by the cartoon duo. Though this album was exceptionally better in terms of simple compilation novelty, the soundtrack of Beavis and Butt-head Do America has something for almost anyone — and even if your only initial reason for buying this soundtrack was “Love Rollercoaster”, chances are you kept it because of the other stellar tunes to follow (kind of like buying the Coneheads OST simply for “Soul To Squeeze”). Above all else, this throwback to the ’90s is novelty but on a higher echelon of such, as it reminds us that at one time or another we all thought Cornholio was hilarious.

Beavis & Butthead Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Tracklist:
01. “Two Cool Guys” - Isaac Hayes
02. “Love Rollercoaster” - Red Hot Chili Peppers
03. “Ain’t Nobody” - LL Cool J
04. “Ratfinks, Suicide Tanks and Cannibal Girls” - White Zombie
05. “I Wanna Riot” - Rancid with Stubborn All-Stars
06. “Walk on Water” - Ozzy Osbourne
07. “Snakes” - No Doubt
08. “Pimp’n Ain’t EZ” - Madd Head
09. “The Lord Is a Monkey (Rock Version)” - Butthole Surfers
10. “White Trash” - Southern Culture on the Skids
11. “Gone Shootin’” - AC/DC
12. “Lesbian Seagull” - Engelbert Humperdinck