![[shiny grey monotone]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipd6KiHDAbQRs8CrRmxCtqbg5yoSbtwAR2w4FDFERXJfP-Wgf3Cz4jKCnaAK371bePkk6lKYG-xjoKhUdF7yW1blhH6YjV-KoEofpS4GD9XwZyDKQbxxbHb3Q5NFTmvea6ecFdMdVZWqoj/s854-r/1.jpg)
Label: Emperor Jones
Year: 1998
Changing tact just a bit, but sticking with a San Diego (cum Portland) based band (I'm referencing the Crash Worhip post by the by), let's experience the warped pop of Truman's Water shall we? Yes. If you're a fan of skewed indie rock along the lines of Polvo, Grifters, Thinking Fellers Union, Sebadoh, and maybe even old Beck, then I think you'll be into this band. They seldom play it straight, but somehow manage to coax something catchy out of the mess they create. Lots of the songs sound improvised, but from what has always been said about the band, they practiced all the time and left little to chance. Rarely do they get into a 4/4 beat, and rarely do the instruments sound tuned to the key of "E". Nah'mean?
As you may well know, I have a very low tolerance for jazz, or jazz-related sounds. Sorry, but I find it tedious, and I hate the sound of the trumpet and/or saxophone. Granted, it's not as bad a genre as reggae, which, to quote Morrissey, "is vile music", but you will be hard pressed to hear many brass instruments squawking from my record collection. I don't stand for baloney. So you will understand that I cringe when people say "that's influenced by Captain Beefheart", or whatever. Yes, I know, Captain Beefheart was not a jazz man per se, but he helped to unleash that free jazz approach within the confines of rock music, and for that I hate him. Again, sorry if that's your uncle or something, but a man has to have principles. Well, people say Truman's Water has elements of Captain Beefheart, but I don't hear it. They also toot a trumpet on occasion. Why mention it? Maybe to have the chance to talk a little shit about Beefheart, or call his fans super fucking nerds? I don't really know. Truman's Water is not silly like Beefheart, they are not toying with conventional song structure, but rather playing off-beat indie rock. That's why I don't get the comparison.
One of the founding members of this group comes and goes to concentrate on Soul-Junk which is a weird christian based experimental hip-hop project I managed to catch a couple times in San Diego. You know my feelings on christian experimental hip hop right? It's right up there with Peter Tosh, King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, and the like. Anyway, that's just a trivial sidebar.
Enjoy your morning.
awesome. these guys were great! do you happen to have ox spasm smash... or whatever the hell it iwas called?
ReplyDeletethanks!
any you guyz have the dove cd? i got a scratched up copy of it. would like to listen to it again without the scratch up mixmaster remix.
ReplyDeleteyeah, i'll post the Dove record tomorrow. because you are you...and i looooooove you!
ReplyDeletei apologize...that got weird.
i meant it though.
Hey mo' I luv Beefheart and likes the Water tooo. So what does that mean? am I a super cool f'n nerd too, no offense taken. I guess it's that hardcore punk deep down inside of you talking. enough of the analysis should ya post anymore Trumans, might it be Godspeed th' Punchline, Static, Vortex, Hemorrage or Diluva, Ornaments, Apistogramma or Fragments. Your blog is one of the best. That is all.
ReplyDeleteGodspeed the music
I used to crank Trumans' Of Thick Tum and Spasm at work where they're big on Rap, Hip-hop and the like, it's a great way to make your collegues think you're crazy.
ReplyDeleteGodspeed the crazy