Trippin' out:

Here's another group of musicians that I feel never received the proper respect and attention due to the fact that they were creating music that was somewhat out of their time. While the rest of the world was awash in the turgid flow of "grunge" Minneapolis band, Trip Shakespeare who was busy crafting unusual songs full of Merseybeat jangling guitars, cryptic lyrics, and three part harmonies that almost reach a Vaudeville-like crescendo at times. Think of it as power pop with a paisley twist. Certainly not for everyone...but something about this band has always fascinated me...due to the fact that their sound occupies it's own singular vision. I have never heard another band that emulates this same audio space within pop music. That a compliment!

I wrote a bit in the previous Electric Love Muffin piece about discovering loads of bands through the college radio station in the mid west and Trip Shakespeare's album Are You Shakespearienced? is one of the earliest examples that comes to mind. The song "Tool Master Of Brainard" (see how weird that is...? What band names their song "Tool Master Of Brainard"??? haha--great!) opens with an almost acid-rock riff while the angular solo bit kicks in. Towards the middle of the song, the listener is treated to a 90% accapella call and response bit that is almost goofy in it's hushed theatrics and over the top vocal posturing. But it's these kinds of moments within Trip Shakespeare's twisted little pop world that makes it all the more worth the while.

on with IT!