History of the Soviet Union via Tetris

September 10, 2009 7:32 PM

The Pig With The Face Of A Boy are an anti-folk band whose free set rocked this years Edinburgh festival. Most of their stuff won't rock your world, but their History of the Soviet Union to the theme of Tetris is awesome.

Unfortunately, I can't link to it directly, but you can hear it either from the widget on their blog, or via the widget on their myspace page.

posted by PeterMcDermott (23 comments total)

Via my Mefite daughter, who cunningly conceals her online identity from me.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:35 PM on September 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

I want a long one, please.
posted by cimbrog at 7:43 PM on September 10, 2009

That's what she said!
posted by turgid dahlia at 7:44 PM on September 10, 2009

Wow. I... I WANT TO TEACH SOVIET HISTORY JUST TO USE THIS SONG!
posted by strixus at 7:49 PM on September 10, 2009

Nice to see that there are young musicians like this around who are so dedicated to humorous songwriting. Interesting, also, that most of the songs on their ReverbNation player (to the right side of their blogger page) employ that almost-forgotten device, the introduction (can't remember the specific musical term for that, if there is one...).
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:57 PM on September 10, 2009

Yeah, they cite as their influences everyone from Noel Coward to the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, and I was struck my just how few modern acts you hear of working in that tradition that encompasses vaudeville and the English music hall. Nice to hear people mining those veins once again.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 8:11 PM on September 10, 2009

I really enjoyed that, thanks.
posted by Divine_Wino at 8:15 PM on September 10, 2009

that almost-forgotten device, the introduction (can't remember the specific musical term for that, if there is one...)

"the intro[duction]"
posted by dhartung at 8:44 PM on September 10, 2009

Excellent!
posted by BrotherCaine at 8:48 PM on September 10, 2009

Could somebody please tell me what "anti-folk" is??

(This is good, but I like folk too. I am confused. This is a normal state for me.)
posted by Mizu at 9:02 PM on September 10, 2009

There's a wikipedia article for Anti-folk:

"The music genre known as anti-folk (or antifolk) takes the earnestness of politically charged 1960s folk music and subverts it. The defining characteristics of this anti-folk are difficult to identify, as they vary from one artist to the next. Nonetheless, the music tends to sound raw or experimental; it also generally mocks the seriousness and pretension of the established mainstream music scene, in addition to mocking itself."
posted by Solon and Thanks at 9:10 PM on September 10, 2009

My guess would be that anti-folk is taking the style of folk music and playing it to lyrics of a subject matter which is not traditionally explored within folk. For example, you might expect folk music to tell a personal story, or convey a political point, and what anti-folk gives you is "I want to eat your placenta!"

Anyway, I really enjoyed this! Best lines:

Each night I go home to my wife in tears,
What's the point of it all when you're building a wall,
And in front of your eyes it disappears!
posted by emperor.seamus at 9:13 PM on September 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

Alas! Outdone in the explanation department by Solon an Thanks!
posted by emperor.seamus at 9:14 PM on September 10, 2009

Well, to be fair, [citation needed.]
posted by Solon and Thanks at 9:14 PM on September 10, 2009

[this is good]
posted by effugas at 9:20 PM on September 10, 2009

"the intro"

... and the outro
posted by PeterMcDermott at 9:38 PM on September 10, 2009

That song is downright brilliant. I love it so much.

I am the man who arranges the blocks that are made by the men in Kazakhstan / They come two weeks late and they don't tesselate / But we're working to Stalin's Five Year Plan"

I think I woke up one of the kids with my laughing.
posted by chimaera at 10:22 PM on September 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

My guess would be that anti-folk is taking the style of folk music and playing it to lyrics of a subject matter which is not traditionally explored within folk.

A somewhat more worksafe version of the good old Swedish "könsrock" genre?
posted by effbot at 2:09 AM on September 11, 2009

My impression is that it's only anti-folk if it's from New York, a city whose attitude is defined by hip nihilism and accentuating the negative (see also: No Wave). Elsewhere, it's just folk or freak-folk or indie folk or what have you.
posted by acb at 4:42 AM on September 11, 2009

Don't tell me what will or won't rock my world!
posted by Drab_Parts at 5:02 AM on September 11, 2009

Also on last.fm for those communists against Myspace.
posted by tapeguy at 5:23 AM on September 11, 2009

Thanks for the earworm.
posted by quoquo at 6:21 AM on September 11, 2009

The Pig With The Face of a Boy With a Thorn in His Side?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 9:14 AM on September 11, 2009