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Childish & Ming - The Cheeky... |
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ALBUM REVIEWSPick of the Chick: Our Favorite Releases, 1999-Present |
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Billy Childish is the godfather of do-it-yourself indie rock. He's also one of the most prolific rock artists around. For over two decades, Childish has produced countless albums as a solo artists and with bands like Pop Rivets, The Milkshakes, Thee Mighty Caesars, and Thee Headcoats. He's always made music for his own personal entertainment, which gives his output a charm that's often absent in the glossed-over, major-label records of his rock and roll peers. On The Cheeky Cheese, Childish teams up with poet Sexton Ming of Auntie Vegetable and the Mindreaders. Unlike the garage punk and lo-fi blues that marks Childish's other recordings, The Cheeky Cheese takes a lighter approach. The album is filled with sparse music performed by Childish--usually on wind organ or acoustic guitar. Over this sparse music, Sexton Ming reads his humorous poetry in a droll British tongue. The album reads like a children's book--for adults, that is. One of the best tracks is "Insects in Your Stars," a horoscope reading for bugs. On this track, Ming performs the following reading for earwigs: "Today you may feel a little depressed, but your children should reach puberty by tea time, although lots will die in the process." If rock and roll has gotten a bit too serious for you, The Cheeky Cheese should lighten things up. The album is best summed up by the words printed on the back cover: "[Billy Childish & Sexton Ming's] work together. . . is a smoking chimney that falls over and crushes your wife and kids. They use the tough langwidge [sic] that only children can bare. Buy this record now and listen to it before you die." Ditto. PIGEONHOLE: Musical children's stories for adults.
Andrew Helminger |
BILLY
CHILDISH & SEXTON MING
