A.S.S.

December 22, 2006 6:21 AM

Hick Hop - Asylum Street Spankers (previously)
posted by hypersloth (10 comments total)

They're certainly a creative bunch. I like the Street link best.
posted by BeerFilter at 6:25 AM on December 22, 2006

Hey, not bad. And no microphones onstage, just an entirely acoustic performance! That's refreshing as hell. Those hip hop moves, though, as white boy parody, get a little tired pretty quickly. Still, they've really internalized some of that rhythmic vibe, and that's not a bad thing. They should just be a little more cool with it, and not go for the easy laughs. Then they might start approaching some kind of breakthrough, some kind of genuinely honest synthesis of styles. Maybe.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:47 AM on December 22, 2006

Their new kids' album is actually excellent.

But better than that, they're responsible for the single greatest thing ever put on DVD, a live concert DVD of their "Re-Assembly" performance.

But better than that, see 'em live. They tour constantly. They're an amzing, amazing band -- I've seen them 4-5 times now, and they're always working on something new.

They have, now embraced the Demon Electricity, though. Boo.
posted by gurple at 7:21 AM on December 22, 2006

Gurple, you think? I've seen 'em like 10 times and I think they need to ditch their oft repetitive set list and take requests. They're waaaaay to stiff and rehearsed these days.
posted by DonnieSticks at 8:45 AM on December 22, 2006

As a timely aside, the Spankers also have an Xmas album. (Disclosure: I work for the label that distributes a few of the Spankers albums)
posted by pfafflin at 9:05 AM on December 22, 2006

Repetitive, DonnieSticks? That's the thing I like about them the most, I don't think they're as repetitive as most other bands with a nationwide following. Some of it is because members are constantly drifting in and out. When Sick came in, he shook things up completely. When Stanley left (and, man, do I miss him!), they had to rearrange a ton of stuff.

That's what's particularly cool about the Re-Assembly DVD -- seeing how much they've changed over the years, and what different members brought to the group. Holy hell, Guy Forsyth is amazing. Too bad his solo stuff is so prosaic.

The last couple of times I saw them play were particularly great, because they had a new album out, but it was a kids' album, so they had to balance the desire to play their new stuff against the fact that a set full of kids' songs just wouldn't work.
posted by gurple at 9:12 AM on December 22, 2006

pfafflin, you know lee g******i?
posted by Hat Maui at 12:00 PM on December 22, 2006

I've only seen the Spankers once (at the Kerrville Folk Festival). I don't recall much about the evening (their set list, or even what other bands played), but one song has been burned indelibly into my brain:

Scrotum

Obviously NSFW. And catchy enough to get stuck in one's brain for years.
posted by reborndata at 1:43 PM on December 22, 2006

If you missed the (previously), you owe it to yourself.
posted by dhartung at 1:56 PM on December 22, 2006

Damn you, reborndata. Damn you and the wrinkly crinkly bag of skin you rode in on.
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:48 PM on December 22, 2006