The Asylum Street Spankers joke, but they don't kid about their playing. It's a somewhat subtle magic. On the surface, they're largely playing for laughs - to the point of being classified sometimes as a "comedy" or "humor" act.
These folks are serious as a heart attack about their musicianship, though. They may be working to a laid back and humorous effect, but they have a total commitment to their art. Tell Wammo you think his band can't play, and I could imagine him becoming one dangerously irate cracker with a quickness.
The Mercurial album was recorded in three days of March of 2003, and named for the Mercury Hall where they recorded live to two track masters. It's a big point of pride to the band that they can do this, without the need for a bunch of multi-track tweaking.
They have an acoustic sound that seems to be centered mostly somewhere near New Orleans and 1940. (The band actually comes from Austin, Texas.) Probably a fair amount of the "New Orleans" comes from Stanley Smith's clarinet. When they get that fiddle and dobro and clarinet going, it's just purely righteous.
Most of the album consists of covers. The particular combination of old and new and crossing of genres may be the most fascinating thing about them. From their basic sound, stuff like "Digga Digga Do" and "Sugar in My Bowl" seem like obvious (though very good) choices, but they do "People Who Died," a rockabilly version of the Beastie's "Paul Revere" and an especially kick-ass "Dance This Mess Around."
What's so fascinating is how right this ends up. It all seems utterly organic, like it's actually supposed to sound this way. The commitment to their playing comes not as long, athletic instrumental solos, but in the precision and creativity of the whole arrangements. They have just the right instruments hitting just the right licks to make it all work. How did they think this stuff up?
Praise for the precision and creativity of the playing particularly includes the vocal performances of co-leader Christina Marrs. She can do jazz chanteuse. She can belt a blues. She can do comedic stuff. She can go from Betty Boop to Bessie Smith- with total control, precision and actual emotion. On top of which, Kate Pierson herself couldn't sing B-52s style better than Ms Marrs does on "Dance This Mess Around." (You really should see the Fez DVD with her and Wammo demonstrating all 16 dances.)
Mostly they're doing covers, but they inevitably seem like originals when they get done with them. People often display impatience with covers of older material, but that's because mostly they're just pointless carbon copies. Asylum Street Spankers are real interpreters of song - sort of like Frank Sinatra, only different.
Anyway, the key original song comes from Wammo. "Hick Hop" just fascinates me by working at all. He wrote an acoustic hip hop song that completely works as a jam in its own right, without any hint of being a lame whiteboy out of water. He wrote a good catchy tune, and some great comedic violent cracker homeboy lyrics.
Again, though, it's the pure skill of the band that makes this thing work with a vengeance. Listen to the change ups in the rhythm section, and the transition from the Skynyrd quote back to the verse in the middle of the song. They're just that good.
If you like fun acoustic jammin' then you'd do well to get up on some Asylum Street Spankers. Mercurial is outstanding work.
I'd even a little more highly recommend the Sideshow Fez live DVD.
Folks, you really can't go wrong with ASS. My old dad digs them. Your college buddies will dig them. What's not to like?
And finally...
Mmm, freebies - Check out the ASS website, and especially their page of free downloads. Particularly dig the unique Prince covers. Only Wammo could make "1999" into a perfectly credible bluegrass song.
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