King Missile – Queen City Sounds and Art

Cleo Handler asks a lot of surreal questions and poses odd scenarios in her song “but i’m a vegetarian.” The vocal style is deadpan and conversational but melodic enough to be singing and in that way like a strange story set to minimal guitar riffing and drums. The vibe is definitely in the realm of King Missile, Dead Milkmen and Camper Van Beethoven in that the wry and absurd sense of humor informs lines about eccentric aspirations. “what if i became a carnivore, what if i became an arsonist, what if i robbed a fucking bank, what if i became a grand larcenist” gives us a peek into idle, dark fantasy and mentions of listening to podcasts about fucked up men and going for a run contrasts that with some of the most mundane pursuits that some people think makes them edgy. It really is choice humor in an understated way one might more often see underlying the film work of Miranda July in which the humor isn’t spelled out for you but which in aggregate offers sharp analysis of society and the stream of consciousness daydreams that can drift into your brain upon which some act and others shake themselves out of or enjoy for the ridiculousness of these unusual psychological impulses. Listen to “but i’m a vegetarian” on Spotify and follow Cleo Handler at the links below where you can also listen to the rest of her recently released album gold on Bandcamp, a record that fans of experimental post-punk band Dry Cleaning may enjoy as well.

Cleo Handler on Twitter

Cleo Handler on Instagram

cleohandler.com

The surreal weirdness of Gus Englehorn’s song and video for “Tarantula” immediately triggers memories and visions of Half Japanese, Alice Donut, They Might Be Giants and King Missile in your brain. It’s from an album called Dungeon Master and if geek adept status wasn’t earned for Englehorn for that alone, the curiously catchy and tuneful song turns an off standard melody sound in the vocals and unusual delivery into something that draws you in. The lyrics are also somewhat nonsensical and bizarre. “Tarantula that whispers in your ear” followed by lines that don’t clarify a thing like “Hold your head under water” and “River bed ever after.” But it doesn’t matter. It’s absurdist imagery at its finest and need not fulfill some linear succession of thought. The image of a tarantula whispering quasi mystical, Dada-esque phrases into your ear forces the brain down alternate pathways that take you off the map of the everyday. And does it make less sense then the words to a whole swath of pop music? “Louie Louie” people have sung along to since it came out or “Surfin’ Bird” and both songs are completely demented musically with lyrics that matter less than the almost shamanistic quality of their cadence and the same is true here. Watch the video that Englehorn made with his musical partner in crime Estée Preda made for “Tarantula” on YouTube and connect with Englehorn at the links below. Dungeon Master releases on April 29, 2022 on Secret City Records.