01 Cat & Mouse 1:53
02 Rachel 2:56
03 Just Another Way 3:07
04 If You Wanna Know 3:26
05 U Don't Know What You're Missing 3:13
06 American Processed Cheese 2:24
07 Eyes Of Man 4:20
08 Mechanical Royalty 15:17
09 Superpoke 4:28
10 Testimony 4:25
Spookey, back at the helm of good ship Ruben
delights us once again with his knack for colouring
outside current musical trends: anchored by a
seven-chapter prog rock epic located smack dab in
the middle of the album, Mechanical Royalty skips
merrily through the garden of musical genres
playing tribute to everything from Yacht Rock to
death metal. But this is not Joke Rock la Ween
Spookey consistently dishes up his excitement for
music in his own special heartfelt way
Tackling a genre forever riddled with ridicule
with its
12-keyboards-and-a-robe-with-a-30-ft-dragon-on-stag
e guise, Spookey, historically attracted to
projects that absolutely don't fit in the hipster
category, manages to surprise us once again with
his latest pi ce de r sistance. MR is something
Spookey had always wanted to do, and since Royalty
falls into the category of all that you're "not
supposed to do," says Spook ("like a 16-minute song
that won't get on the radio"), he was naturally
inclined
"You can't help but recognize Spookey Ruben as
eccentricity in its purest form." - allmusic guide
This new work is the culminating, tantalizing
dish the result of three and a half years of dragon
slaying and never giving up, none of which could
have been possible without the amazing
contributions from a variety of musician friends
ranging from Ariel Pink to Adam Marcello (drummer
to Katy Perry)
Mechanical Royalty (a pun, alluding not only to the
album cover and storyline of the title track, but
also to a music business term) is an intense
70s/80s rollercoaster ride, but its Spookey's point
of view that makes it feel inviting and brand new
The album kicks off with Cat and Mouse a
retro-futuristic balls-to-the-wall 80s rock stomp
complete with DX7 keyboard sounds and Shins-like
vocal acrobatics. At the other end of the spectrum
there s death metal absurdo-freak out, American
Processed Cheese, a song title stumbled upon while
re-interpreting the American Idol logo. An
example of how Spookey often tailors a song s genre
to its title, SR sees A.P.C. as S.O.D. (an old
metal fave of his) crossed with Greg Ginn guitar
theory. Spookey s modus operandi revolves around
his addiction to an important story or a song title
then taking it to the limit, expressing its theme
no holds barred
"Pop Fantasia Genius" - Mojo Magazine
Express from Spookey s bedroom studio we have
Rachel, basically the 2009 incarnation of
Shauna from yesteryear (and from Spookey s 2003
hit album, Breakfast). Poppy as fuck. It makes me
think, who is this new girl Rachel, and where has
Shauna gone? Is this the lost follow up single to
Never Ending Story ? Then there's a fresh nod to
Facebook with 'Superpoke', an indie pop classic
whose sax solo (Joseph Shabason) throws it into
Joni Mitchell gear. Finally, the title track of the
album is a 15 and a half minute epic tribute to
prog rock influences from Spookey's youth (Rush
Yes, Genesis, Voivod ) In seven chapters it tells
the story of a kingdom of robots who are attacked
by humans because they possess a magnetic force; a
code in the motherboard that keeps harmony in
society. The humans who originally created the
robots, now seek to get it back for themselves
I recall Spookey saying if you love the Mechanical
Royalty track you're probably a guy because girls
don't like prog rock. After just one listen I was
hooked. Guess that means I'm a dude
Kathryn McBride
In addition to his musical prowess, Spookey is the
mastermind behind Spookey Ruben s Dizzy
Playground (exclaim.ca/AUX.tv), an ongoing series
of short films guest starring notable musicians
such as Brendan Canning (Broken Social Scene), John
McEntire (Tortoise/The Sea and Cake), Melissa Auf
Der Maur (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins) and Ariel Pink
Upcoming episodes incl. Owen Pallett (Final
Fantasy), Brian Borcherdt (Holy F*ck) and Leslie
Feist (Feist)
Try
Post je objavljen 09.08.2009. u 15:35 sati.