Ever wonder what the off-spring of Johnny Dowd, Nick Cave, Roky Erickson, The Residents and Tom Waits would sound like? Travis Caffrey and Michael Sadler are The Chewers, an off-kilter duo based in West-Virginia. Their most recent album Chuckle Change And Also has spoken word, loops, keyboards, drums and guitar and then some - pessimistic avant-garde Americana, but with a wry sense of humour.
The deadpan vocals delivered over a musical candy store backing are not for the squeamish. The songs, short as they are demand the full attention of the listener. They ask stern questions about the blessings of modern day technology, which is kinda ironic since they use it to create their music and get their message out. The duo wants to be heard, but crowd-pleasing isn't part of their vocabulary. Proud to be part of the underground they soldier on, catering to a niche that doesn't even show up in the graphs of "long tail" gurus.
Chuckle Change And Also is a self-released album. Buy it from the band's website.
Tracks:- (NOW)
- Can't Sleep
- Burn It Down
- Techno-Slaves
- Filthy
- Some Folks
- A Part Machine
- (Later)
- Inmate 227
- Smiling Samuel
- The Fat Man
- Mutter
- I'm Afraid
- Down There
- Teeth Lock
- (Past)
- Box Head Space
- Tornado of Stasis
- Steam
- Funnel Head
- Blank Pavement
- Went Away
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