Imagine listening to a top-forty radio station with ears that bend the music like fun-house mirrors bend one’s figure, making it a vague and unsettling emulation of what one is accustomed to.
Musicians termed as “avant-garde” hone that ability with experimental re-imagining of music. Yet, the artists on this list take that term and stand it on its head with other-worldly tunes of seemingly unprecedented nature. The following artists are lesser known, but to a good-many they have influenced music in ways that popular musicians will never be able to, or at the very least wrote songs any alien, insect or reptile would enjoy.
”Constantinople” – The Residents (1978)
This list would be nothing without The Residents. The Residents paved the way for avant-garde music in the early ’70s with spooky and silly tendencies. The band is still going strong today, all while remaining completely anonymous. “Hello Skinny,” off of The Residents’ magnificent Duck Stab/Buster & Glen, is but a taste of the behemoth feast of work the band has put out. These kooky bastards re-work every song for their live shows, as if their live theatrics weren’t enough of a treat, and they even cover classic tunes by James Brown, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, giving them a nebulous twist of course. When extra-terrestrials descend upon earth, their spaceship stereo will be blasting The Residents.
”Lime Grass Jelly” – Renaldo and the Loaf (1981)
The absolutely awkward Songs for Swinging Larvae is Renaldo and the Loaf’s debut album, and truly seems to be an album that insects would enjoy. With indistinguishable lyrics, buzzy guitars marching snare drums and whiny synths beeping along, Lime Grass Jelly is a fine example of the wonky sound of avant-garde music from the late 20th century. The Residents worked close with Renaldo and the Loaf, which helped bring about the still strong, albeit low-lying era of weird.
”Desire” – Tuxedomoon (1981)
Tuxedomoon comes off like most new wave groups who formed in the late 1970’s, and were part and parcel of the electronic tinged post-punk movement. What sets Tuxedomoon among the ranks of the other avant-garde groups of this time is the development each song takes. “Desire” starts off like a blend of Joy Division and the Talking Heads before ascends into an odd spoken word section. That weirdness is retained as the song grows more eerie, and Steve Brown sings “Live a thousand lives by picture,” while saxophones climb upward and offbeat until the song falls apart completely. There is no need for a clever outro or a catchy hook with Tuxedomoon because the genius is in the texture.
”Kill the Great Raven” – Snakefinger (1979)
If the previous bands made pop music for bugs and rock music for aliens, Snakefinger is reggae music for reptiles. Phillip Lithman, the creative push behind Snakefinger, has a goofy take on the tried and true reggae idiosyncrasies. The palm-muted progressions, simple hooks and the snare on the second and fourth beat that Jah-music is known for gets tweaked with effects and accented with unusual vocals and zany samples. Snakefinger has songs about Jesus as a Leprechaun and murdering Great Ravens, as opposed to the classic vernacular of reggae which reeks of good vibes and great pot. Lithman’s guitar and vocals are also featured in the Residents work, and the familiar touch of influence is evident.
”Panorama Paper” – Harry Merry (2004)
Harry Merry of Rotterdam, Netherlands is truly an undiscovered gem. If the pre-set tones and beats of his keyboard were visible, they’d be a finger-painting of a sailor on a boat made of candy; the sweetness sailing effortlessly. Alone behind his Casio, Harry Merry has mastered his own vibe in his music, dances and wardrobe. This live version of Panorama Paper from the album “Well… here’s another nice mess you’ve got me into” is an up-close and personal exhibition of the laughably genuine Harry Merry, complete with a mid-song hiccup that Harry quickly corrects. When Harry Merry sings “You do have cool hair, Panorama,” during the outro, it’s hard to ignore how stellar he is.
