Tyranahorse's Garbage Bears EP isn't straightforward

Garbage Bears (Independent)

There’s a fine line between being pretentious and artsy and being a parody of all things pretentious and artsy, and it’s possible to cross that line without even meaning to do so. Let’s give Tyranahorse the benefit of the doubt and assume its five members are in on the joke. The band makes the sort of music you would expect to encounter at a student art show, with someone coaxing random squeals out of a theremin and someone else playing a kazoo, and the whole thing accompanied by interpretive dance and a continuous loop of totally unrelated stock footage.

That actually sounds kind of awesome, am I right? And none of the above should be interpreted as a slight on Tyranahorse’s musical chops. The band has already proven it knows how to put together a twisted kind of pop tune (look up the “Knife in the Heart” video on YouTube for evidence), but the four-song Garbage Bears EP is a less straightforward affair. “AA Foreplay” comes on like a beach party on acid, with singer prOphecy sun delivering an in-flight safety announcement that makes it sound as if something unpleasant, and possibly sexual, is about to happen. “Rumble Tumble” adds some distorted guitar to the proceedings, while the six-minute mini epic “Alice” goes down the rabbit hole with enough tempo changes and dynamic shifts to fill a Rush LP. Closing the EP, “Out of Control” is stoner-rock cabaret that asks the musical questions “Why don’t you fuck up everything?/Why don’t you fuck everything?”

Why not, indeed?

Comments

2 Comments

Garry Shwitzer

Jul 26, 2012 at 3:10pm

I have know idea what you are talking about. This is my favorite album of the year. I almost jizzed when I first heard it...literally. I was making out with my girlfriend at the time.

The Dude

Jan 4, 2013 at 7:56pm

See them play these songs live....they pick up the tempo ever so slightly and it makes a world of difference.