With The Aquabats' show premiering, and the mc chris cartoon on its way, it seems like musicians are stepping out of their normal routine and dabbling in new forms of media. That might not work for every band, but there are plenty who could benefit from trying out some new ways to entertain. Here are four bands that I'd love to see put out something other than music.
GWAR -- TV Show or Video Game
You knew they'd be on my list. GWAR has quite a storied history of sometimes completely nonsensical mythology behind them. Whether it be from their live shows, countless DVDs, or actual music, they're always telling wacky tales that beg to be made into an equally goofy, adult-oriented cartoon. Just look at the popularity of Metalocalypse for proof that this show could work.
I'd love to tune in weekly to see who GWAR was doing battle with next. Maybe they're feeding the human filth to The World Maggot; Maybe they've gone to space in search of Cardinal Syn; Or perhaps they'd just be sitting around their Antarctican fortress snorting crack. No matter what, it'd have to be entertaining.
If that doesn't work, make it a video game. Brutal Legend is your example there, just, leave out the RTS elements. Apparently people don't like that stuff.
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| "...and then the drug dealer's territory expanded all across Minneapolis!" "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" |
Craig Finn, lead songwriter of The Hold Steady, is known for filling his lyrics with rich narratives of growing up in America, addiction, redemption, relationships, religion, and plenty more. There isn't one giant overarching story, just tons of tiny ones, but Finn has proven he can create compelling fiction. He could easily make one of the most engaging books, whether it be one continuous story or many different ones.
Sure, this also doesn't work as an item on this list because it'd be more of a Craig Finn thing than it would a Hold Steady thing, but I'm pretty certain some of the many characters he's used in his lyrics would make appearances.
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| What happens when Ford develops spaceship technology for their line of vans. |
I'd never heard of The Phenomenauts when they opened for The Aquabats, but the pairing was perfection. The space-themed troupe's live show was filled with costumes, fog machines, bubble blowers, and a leaf blower jerry-rigged to shoot rolls of toilet paper out over the crowd. It was an entertaining show, to say the least, and completely fit in with the unique crowd that The Aquabats draw -- anywhere from 6-year-olds to 30-something nerds.
Now, I'm not saying The Phenomenauts should completely copy The Aquabats! Super Show!, but they should make a show in the exact same style as The Aquabats! Super Show! Alright, maybe copy is an apt term. There need to be more shows for the 6 to 16ish crowd that aren't complete crap. Hell, put them back to back and The Hub can have a little block of quality kid's programming going.
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| It was dangerous, but Frank just didn't have the time to take the bag off of his head before he drove off to meet Linda. Little did he know, Linda was doing the same exact thing. |
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala tell some pretty insane stories with their albums. Not only are the stories weird, they're so buried under metaphors that I can barely make out what's happening. Every time a new Mars Volta album comes out I wander back to The Comatorium -- the forum for once-obsessed, now mostly cynical fans of the band -- and scour through theories and discussions until I've found some plot line that satisfies enough of my unanswered questions.
It'd be nice to have a little bit more help from the band, perhaps in another medium. Sometimes the, also very weird, music videos they release provide a few more clues for the dissectors of metaphors. Imagine if the band released a movie companion to their albums, with full length music videos (they're often chopped to the bare bones for mass consumption) of every song, and possibly even connecting threads in-between to help all of us confused fans make more sense of things.
We still may never understand who or what "a deaf con of angora goats" is, but it might help save a little frustration.
What bands/artists do you think should try out a new form of media? Let's shoot ideas off of each other in the comments below!
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4 comments:
A Peelander-Z theme park!
Haha, I actually considered them for the article but didn't know enough about them to know which medium would work best. Theme park sounds like a great one.
Speaking of Craig Finn side-projects, his newish album is great.
I'm still waiting for podcasting to take off with bands. Ike Reilly had a good podcast to promote one of his albums -- it was him and a friend/collaborator listening to records and chatting. Actually, given how much Wayne Coyne and Craig Finn like to talk at their shows, I'm surprised they haven't tried this.
I remember an interview with Peelander Yellow saying he wants to do a huge carnival with bowling, wrestling, music, ect. at some point. Pretty much all the things and subjects they've done over the years. A theme park just seems to fit too, and would be awesome!
Also, don't tease my brain with a Wayne Coyne podcast. I want one now!
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