Gay Beast --- Second Wave

As a concert tuba player for eight years, a jazz trombone player in high school, a (really bad) clarinet player for four years, and a frequent groper of many other various instruments - I am a musician. Though my only on-stage time is while I am in a tuxedo, I have always imagined creating my own music and starting a band that plays kick-ass shows. I know that this is not an unusual dream, and it may someday come true, but it is certain that Gay Beast's new album Second Wave has proven to me that I have a long way to go.
The other curse that musical training has granted me is that almost anytime I hear music I imagine the actual notation, the process it took to compose it, and what its like to play it. I have heard lots of music, and seen lots of bands that have made me think, 'I could do that'; Second Wave makes me think something more like 'What the fuck?!'. Explosive, complicated, loud. sharp, Gay Beast has been called "manic alt-alt-electronic", "the perfect soundtrack for a post-apocalyptic discotheque", and they refer to themselves as "Minnesota's premier agit-prog queer band". Whatever it is, it's really rad. The first track "Beach" certainly agitates, but surprisingly turns out in the end to be the most tuneful and song like of all the tracks. Then track two, "Revolt Revolt" bursts in with bitter saxophone mirroring screechy guitar licks, suddenly the album becomes a wind album and the testes tingle. The song then introduces deep almost funky bass lines and distantly powerful and confident melodic lyrics; it feels like a familiar hip-hop song, and the first signs of subtle dance urges arise. The ultra-fast anthem like "Aspirin" includes a little sax solo that will make any horn lover weak at the knees. My personal favorite "White Diamonds" remembers early Danny Elfman explorations with Oingo Boingo: honky sharp horn lines and stop-go rhythms make this song the kind of song that would make your mom throw up (I believe it also contains an ABBA cover). This is also the song that makes you realize the incredible musical talent these three have. The drummer, Angela Gerend, must be the scariest woman in the world. The amount of focus and stamina she needs to be the backbone for the most manic feminist band ever, is outrageous. Yikes! The frantic yet clear guitar of Isaac Rotto and of course the killer sax playing, keyboarding, and singing from Daniel Luedtke makes Gay Beast the kinda band that should be recognized as incredible talent, but never will reach great fame because of the pure dissonance poured all over it. Nonetheless, I think it's the shit, and it uses horns, so I am pleased as a peach. In another favorite track "Eeexxxpppaaannndddiiinnnggg", the lyrics go "Your boots got you shaking in your boots. Who's the he-she? Who's the urge? / My shoes, my enormous high heeled shoes / Match my lipstick, match my gun." This album is just incredible, and will make more than a few Morning Wood appearances. Their label Skin Graft says "The nuclear family explodes into a psychedelic mushroom cloud of writhing, urgent vocals set against the precise, premeditated clatter of guitar, drums and keys. Add a dash of electronic psych, and a spoonful of sax--and your goose is cooked." Now thats what I'm talking about.

This is the band's website (you can download "Eeexxxpppaaannndddiiinnnggg")
http://www.skingraftrecords.com/bandhtmlpages/gaybeast.html

- Kimmy Gibbler