Toychestra - Sassy Pony (c) 2002 SK
Artist....: Toychestra
Album.....: Sassy Pony
Type......: Album
Source....: CDDA
Tracks....: 12
Genre.....: Avantgarde
Label.....: SK
Catalogue#: n/a
Encoder...: LAME 3.90.3 Mod VBR
Quality...: VBR kbps / 44.1Hz / Joint-Stereo
URL.......: http://zookeeper.stanford.edu/index.php?s=byAlbumKey&n=699262&q=&action=search&session=
Tracklist:
----------
01 Monopause 02:46
02 Going Places 03:43
03 John's Buttons 04:04
04 Iren 00:11
05 Twinkle 01:24
06 High Flame 03:58
07 Sittin' Pretty 00:50
08 Bollyshag 04:13
09 The Hammer Song 03:03
10 Greeting From Mami 00:09
11 Pms 02:56
12 Lullaby 03:58
Total:41,2 MBB / 31:15 min
Release Notes:
--------------
It was an idea that could have only been born in the countercultural
bastion of Berkeley, CA. Composer Dan Plonsey wrote a concerto
especially for legendary avant guitarist and Henry Cow/John Zorn
veteran Fred Frith and the Oakland six-piece all-toy-instrument
ensemble, Toychestra. Yet contrary to expectations, the results of this
potentially erroneous meeting are far more palatable than one would
initially expect. The first movement, "The Dub," introduces
Toychestra's chime-happy rhythmic patterns, which stumble like a baby
elephant before Frith's guitar phases in at the end with a single
repetitive tone. "Fellini" follows with a similar cling-clang backing
and Frith in full improvisational mode. "Groove Rides a Happy Honker"
lacks the cohesive strut of the first parts, but Toychestra display
their full range of talking robot toys, toy bugles, and a pink zoo
train. At only 27 minutes, What Leave Behind never has time to become
overly kitschy or tiresome. And the closing "When to Rewind" is
primarily the six Toychestra players in choral mode, singing a lullaby
mantra with only the slightest of toy and guitar embellishments, making
for an experimental piece that never gazes too intently at its own
weirdness or technique.
6 bay area women who make music with toy instruments and other random
gadgets. There are some conventional instruments, including, violin,
melodica, hurdy gurdy, zither, piano, clarinet, and umm mixing bowl.
There are vocals on about half the tracks. What you get is something
like demented circus music or dark childrenÆs music that is slightly
arty. Most of the songs slowly march along and the vocals are often
deadpan. You'd think this would be more fun but it really isn't, not
that that is a bad thing.
**1. Wonderfully twisted instrumental march that gets more demented
sounding halfway through. Like something you probably made up when you
were a kid.
2. Really dark, and has a soundtrack feel at the beginning. Nursery
rhyme type lyrics.
**3. Who could have thought that lemonade could be so scary?? Eeerie
keyboard-sounding instrument with deadpan singing of surreal lyrics
with mentions of lemonade, champagne, marriage and masquerades. Scare
the kids with this one.
5. Lots of tinkling sounds of bells and toy pianos and at one point I
think all 6 play a whirly whistle. Noisy but not loud instrumental.
6. CanÆt really get my head around this one. Lots of accordion.
**7. Cool pre-caned loop from some toy with animal sounds and counting.
Percussive.
8. Percussive instrumental track. Nice use of the Barbie for girls
Deluxe Music Center Keyboardö.
**9. A slow, dark walk with lyrics about needing a hammer.
**11. Yea. Sounds like a drunk marching band happily marching around
their sandbox banging on pots and pans. Instrumental.
12. Like the title suggests, it has a lullaby feel.....cept satan is
playing the keyboards.