harley poe

For starters, I'm not actually going to talk about any new bands or albums I've recently discovered. Instead, we're going to start with a lesser-known piece of excellence to help you guys establish an idea of what I myself like (and hopefully introduce you all to a group you've never heard).

This band would be the comedic genius known as Harley Poe (and their album In The Dark, to be specific).

Harley Poe is the greatest thing my friend 'wedge ever introduced to me. The four member group is based out of Kokomo, Indiana, and they hate me too much to ever step foot in Michigan, despite the fact the two states are practically next door neighbors. I'm willing to forgive these guys, though, because I have no choice. Their energetic harmonica, perky guitar, and silly tambourine are infinitely more effective on me than the classic puppy dog eyes. Classified as "acoustic horror folk," their music is catchy, enthusiastic, and made to put a dirty little grin on your face.

The lyrical content of their songs is what I find most endearing. Who else could serenade you with tales of sex dolls, necrophilia, inter species erotica (although zombies and vampires are perhaps humanoid enough to rule out that topic), and sexually transmitted diseases? Harley Poe's sense of humor is often offensive, perverse, and not for the weak of stomach, but it never seems as though they're doing it for the shock factor - that's just how they do.

Another favorite feature of Harley Poe would be Joe's vocals. His voice could not possibly be considered pretty or soothing. Instead, it's more like what you would expect if one of the angstier nerds from your high school decided to take up a singing career. Raw, seething, and often laced with a layer of amusement that lets you know he's fine with laughing at himself, it's impossible to confuse Joe with anyone else out there. His voice is very fitting for many of the characters his songs create, often depicting high school outcasts and comic book loving basement dwellers.

Of course, I have to give many kudos to the other three in the band; I am frequently caught off guard by how much enthralled attention I end up directing to the percussion (which is saying a lot for me, because this lass is not a drum-appreciator at heart), and some of the bass parts have been known to turn my head on occasion as well (Date with the Undead, for example). Each musician knows his instruments well.

I'll stop brown-nosing and move on to the other half of this entry. In The Dark, their 2005 album, is a great piece of humor and musicianship, although it's noticeable that it's their first - more recent songs from the four have always been guaranteed to make my favorites list, whereas this album has exceptions. Still, the band works well together... almost too well, until you realize the boys spent some time together in a band called Calibretto 13. No wonder they fit like a glove.

Most of the album is high-energy, up-tempo, and sometimes outright franctic - a great album to blast while doing 105 down the highway with other dark-humored friends. There isn't much that could be considered laidback; The Uglies is the only exception here, starting off quiet and slow, building in volume but not in tempo.

"Angsty" (in the most humerous of ways, rather than a Hawthorne Heights "my life sucks cut my wrists and black my eyes" sort) is an adequate way to describe the album; many of the songs are, in a way, theraputic. Ever wanted to go to prom with someone way out of your league? There's a song for you. Girlfriend cheated? Song for you. Girlfriend dump you after you came back to life as a member of the undead? There's something on there for you to sympathize with. Decided to dress in women's clothing? Ohhhh baby, they've got you covered.

There are also a few live pieces on the album, although none of them are near as satisfying as later live recordings. They don't include all four members of the group, but they do give you a chance to realize Joe's vocals don't seem change at all from album recording to in-your-face experience, which is always an excellent thing. Of course, I can't guarantee that statement because they won't play a show close enough for me to sneak into.

All in all, the album is a great way to introduce yourself to the humor and delicious story telling that Harley Poe is capable of through music. It may not be their best, but Harley Poe could evacuate their bowels atop of a blank CD, and I'd still like it more than most of what's in my music library.

I don't know if that's more a compliment to them or an insult to my collection.

As a too-long;didn't-read conclusion, here are my favorite and least favorite (which isn't saying much) tracks from the album, along with a few from other albums that I suggest looking for (you can find one of them on Harley Poe's myspace).

Favorites
3) Vampire's Night Out
6) I Could Always Eat Your Brain

Acquired Taste
8) Homicidal Maniac
10) The Uglies

Try To Get Your Hands On
The Object of My Affection
Corpse Grindin' Man

a hearty hello

The intent of this blog is rather simple: to grow, to enjoy, to pass judgment on those whose musical skills are far superior to mine, to pretend I'm witty enough to articulate my opinion in a manner so amusing that others will feel provoked to read it, to be as long winded as humanely possible (and inherently make my average sentence length at least 56.9 words), to subtly push my own musical agenda until every one of my friends refuses to listen to an album unless I suggest it first, to make obscene amounts of cash, to buy a pony, to buy a boat, to invite The Lonely Island onto said boat so that we can party it up, to convince Jorma Taccone to ride my pony while riding my boat, to take pictures of Jorma Taccone riding my pony while riding my boat, and to sell those pictures for even more cash.

Only half of those goals are realistic, but a girl can dream.

Also, that first sentence was approximate 153 words long. I'd call that a good start.