Electric Tickle Machine is the ideal indie band. Cut-off denim shorts, day glow shades, lo-fi mastering, wavey moustaches, frenetic energy, ironic lyrics, an album cover with a nipple on the cover…whoa…what!?Yes, a nipple… but a nice one. How serious can anyone take a first album with the blatant use of a nipple to grab your attention? I suppose it could be viewed as good marketing.
With the hilarious name/exposed mammary one would expect a group of sarcastic misfits informing us not to eat the yellow snow a la Zappa or Ween. But surprise surprise, these unsigned Brooklynites have crafted a mixed bag of rollicking genre-spanning tunes on their first entry: ‘Blew It Again‘. This album is a legitimate contender for one of the top 10 rookie albums of the past year (if I had actually reviewed it when it came out 5 months ago). Their fusion of garage, fuzzed-out scapes and psychedelia, sing/shout vocal progression, acoustic strumming, and always dependable hand claps keeps you on your toes and has you craving for more before immediately shifting to another style altogether.
The undeniably catchy “Part of Me” ironically chimes “everyday we get a little more invisible, no heads are turning when we’re walking down 1st Avenue, buy a puppy it will make you more presentable, buy a dollar for a whisper a man on the moon… part of me dies when you’re not around, part of me comes to life when you’re not around“. the best love songs offer glimpses into the artist’s psyche without beating you over the head with sentimental crap. “Gimme Money“, shouts “Gimme Money… I see something that I want, its nice and shiny shiny shiny… I’ll be a good boy and not lose my new toy, i want to feel strong like every other boy“.
It’s Iggy Pop fronting the Clinic with a deadpan delivery of being owed something grand by society. The entire album is streaming on their website, check it out.
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Guest post from Adam, aka CougArt CouGarfunkel.
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TRACKS:
Electric Tickle Machine – Gimme Money
Buy the whole album, Nipple cover included, here
