Don't get me wrong. I love Dinosaur Jr. But...I definitely don't agree with J. Mascis' assertion that 'humor does not belong in music.' I can't really back this up right now, but I read an interview a few years ago where he said something like that in regards to groups like Ween and the Dead Milkmen. I've always thought that, when done right, humor and music make an excellent match, so here's a mix of funny songs for you. Intentionally funny, that is. Some of these groups are serious groups, and others tend to do more comedic than serious songs. Front and back cover, just like last time. Be forewarned: Some of this shit is DEFINITELY X-rated material.
DOWNLOADTracklist:
1. Butt Trumpet - "I'm Ugly and I Don't Know Why" - Primitive Enema, 1994
Sloppy musicianship, dueling girl/guy vocals...no, we're not talking about Beat Happening...this is x-rated punk group Butt Trumpet's ONLY single (as far as I know.) You can tell with song titles like 'Dead Dogs in My Garage' that these guys/gals have a real immature sense of humor. Classic novelty of the grunge era.
2. Pansy Division - "Bill and Ted's Homosexual Adventure" - Pile Up, 1995
Green Day brought these fellas along on their first major US tour...I wonder what the hundreds of drunk frat boys thought of this. Pansy Division perfectly combine catchy pop songs with over-the-top queercore lyrics. 80% of the time they're being hilarious, but then they'll turn out depressing tunes like 'Deep Water.' Cool guys. I like 'em a lot. Not in THAT way, though..
3. Goldie Lookin' Chain - "HRT" - Safe as Fuck, 2005
An 8-member Welsh rap group that tackles important issues like buying cheap hash, trading said hash for Indian takeout food, and of course, wearing tracksuits. I think the joke is on the listener in this case, because there's no way these guys are really that dumb. Especially considering how 'intelligent' some of the music is. This one was particularly humorous to me because I remember DARE officers in junior high telling us that if you smoked pot too much you'd grow tits.
4. Dead Milkmen - "Taking Retards to the Zoo" - Big Lizard in My Backyard, 1985
What comedy-music compilation would be complete without these guys? One of the longest running, and funniest punk groups with a sense of humor...this was the very first song I heard by them, and it won me over big time. It's short, and to the point, and how can you hate the smirky, bored tone of Rodney Anonymous? The Milkmen are the coolest.
5. The Frogs - "Baby Greaser George" - It's Only Right and Natural, 1989
The Frogs are one of my favorite bands, hands down. They're great musicians, and who else could make shit like this up ON THE SPOT? This tune is WAY X-rated, as are many of their best ones. If you think the idea of a pedophile orally raping a baby and getting his dick bit off is funny, then you WILL enjoy this song.
6. Heathen Dan - "I Like" - World's Worst Records, Vol. 1, 1983
I have no idea where this song comes from, who recorded it, or why they recorded it. All I know is that it's on this 'World's Worst Records' compilation, which should really be called 'Worlds BEST Records.'
7. Ween - "Reggaejunkiejew (Live)" - At the Cat's Cradle, 1992
An early live recording by these two creeps. Another classic group of comedy-rock that proves humor and music DO belong together. The brothers Ween are geniuses...although this might not be the best example of that. Try 'The Mollusk' LP if you don't believe me.
8. Crispin Hellion Glover - "Auto-Manipulator" - The Big Problem Does Not Equal the Solution. The Solution Equals Let it Be, 1989
Considering his only record veers from noisy sound collages to spoken word, to offbeat rap songs like this...it's pretty obvious that 'Back to the Future' star Crispin Glover is a fucking wild man. It's even more obvious if you've seen the two films he's directed and tours the country promoting. Considering that he pretty much only plays psychotic roles, and is a VERY awkward (albeit very nice) person to talk to, I'd say it's not all just an act...
9. Anal Cunt - "311 Sucks" - I Like it When You Die, 1997
They do. Seth Putnam is the stand-up comedian of heavy metal.
10. Bloodhound Gang - "She Ain't Got No Legs" - Use Your Fingers, 1995
Okay, if you don't think these guys are funny in some respect, you're probably just an asshole. Music critics, I'm looking at you. How come every review of the Gang is a shitty one? Jimmy Pop is a lot more clever than people give him credit for. That being said, this song is stupid as fuck, and also very crude. But, listen very closely and you'll hear a pretty accurate recreation of The Cure's 'Close to Me' in the background. Legend has it that Robert Smith hand-wrote a nasty letter to the Bloodhounds upon being asked for permission to use his song. Rob just doesn't get the joke...
11. MC Trachiotomy - "Angel Dust" - ...w/ Love from Tahiti, 2002
Not sure what to say about this one, but I think it's funny...deconstructionist/crackhead rap music made by some psycho from New Orleans.
12. Sun City Girls - "Pornoshop" - Horse Cock Phepner, 1987
The Sun City Girls aren't really a joke band, but they do their fair share of 'humor' tunes. Especially on this record. Basically, when they're not covering Egyptian surf songs or making gamelan sounds with their guitars, they're making fun of politics and censorship. This is another X-rated tune.
13. Zoogz Rift - "Sit down and Shut Up" - Ipecac, 1984
Kinda like a more foul-mouthed Frank Zappa, this dude plays all the instruments and talks crazy shit. He was also a wrestler, I think.
14. Mindless Self Indulgence - "Pussy All Night" - Tight, 1999
Alright, so MSI got pretty shitty in recent years, but there was a time when they were cranking out hilarious electro-rap-punk classics. This is from their first LP, which is apparently out of print for some reason. Too bad. I used to have it, but I lost it.
15. MC Potbelly - "Santa is Dead" - My Favorites, ???
This is a middle-aged accountant who can't really rap and probably thinks he's a lot funnier than he is. That's not to say he ISN'T funny.
16. Frank Zappa - "Broken Hearts are For Assholes" - Sheik Yerbouti, 1979
The godfather of comedy-rock, with a hilarious mid-period song. I like Zappa best when he's making jokes like this and not fucking around with classical music.
17. MC Paul Barman - "Talking Time Travel" - Paullelujah!, 2002
Usually Paul is MCing, but here he's kinda talking over some weird folk samples. His raps are extremely clever, but for some reason this track made me laugh the hardest.
18. Freddie Blassie - "Pencil Neck Geek" - I Bite the Songs, 1975
A one-time world-famous wrestler who loved calling people geeks, Freddie decided to take his token phrase to the music world. I'm sure glad he did. This song is hilarious, and was even covered by Mr. Bungle at several shows.
19. Ugly Duckling - "Meatshake" - Taste the Secret, 2003
This is from the group's concept album about a fictitious fast food chain that serves nothing but meat. It takes some truly twisted minds to even come up with the idea of a milkshake made out of meat (I think) and they execute the idea very well. Just goofy, silly fun. Probably the tamest song on here, but also one of the funniest.
20. Fat Boys - "Don't You Dog Me" - S/T, 1984
Maybe the Fat Boys aren't a joke band, but they're definitely a novelty act. How else can you explain 3 huge guys rapping about how much food they can eat? This song turned up in the 'Krush Groove' movie, too, which is a really fucking cool movie.
21. The Presidents of the United States of America - "Boll Weevil" - S/T, 1995
Probably the most successful comedy-rock group in recent times...I grew up on this shit, and it's still funny. Unlike some of the groups on here, the humor doesn't overtake the quality of the music.
Alright, there ya go.
Electric Wizard - Black Masses
Ghost - Opus Eponymous
Atheist - Jupiter
gONNA gET gOT - Mixtapes on Acid, Vol. 1
That album 'The Bad Wife' by Julie Christmas was pretty cool, too.
I dunno...I'm listening to this split by Oranssi Pazuzu and Candy Cane and it's pretty awesome. At least the Oranssi stuff is. They were featured for a brief moment on Forte a few weeks ago for their fusion of Can/Faust-style jamming with black metal. This stuff is pretty similar to their 2009 album.
