Quintron
Are You Ready For An Organ Solo?
Three.One.G
I’m not a bad driver, especially when I have passengers in the car. It’s just that when someone (*wink*) hands me a package in a clandestine meeting, which just happens to contain the new Quintron platter, well, so-called priorities kinda go out the window. Much like my passengers might have. I’ve got “Place Unknown” fucking blaring on my stereo and I’m swerving all over the road just buzzing on how obsolete he’s making much of popular (and unpopular music) seem and I notice my passengers, and maybe they don’t know all about the glory of Quintron, right? So I start excitedly lecturing on what exactly is good about Quintron, y’see – I, they, he, he’s one of about five bands that I’d eagerly do the whole Derek Taylor courtier thing for eternity. Do you hear me, Quintron? I would willingly die working on the Quintron Anthology in my twilight years! Everything’s good about Quintron – the clothes, the style, Miss Pussycat, that fucking nasty organ, the technological breakthrough that is the Drumbuddy and that soulful punk yowl. It’s okay to go gonzo here, man. It’s Quintron, dig?
“Place Unknown” is just lunatic pop perfection with shout-outs to Miami, New York, Biloxi, Brazil; immortal couplets like “Well, it’s all about the kids/And I’m a big kid now/And I want a dance party”; funky-ass organ and Miss Pussycat growling “Get around” over and over again. It’s messy and immaculate and a panting ball of soul devastation. “Mud Bugs (Diamond Rex)” has some classic rock organ and plenty of chants of “Bugs!” again and again, and it’s only halfway through this song that I realize that Quintron and Pussycat are indeed creating this wonderful roar with only an organ, a drum machine and two voices. “Teenage Antoinette” overflows with sci-fi squiggles and bleeps (touch the dial, stroke the keys, IF YOU DARE!) with Miss Pussycat bursting in with an army of disciples chanting “Teenage Antoinette/You Can’t Break Her Yet!” It’s a nice, skewed idyll.
Now the real shit begins. “Miniature Breakdown” is so fucking just out there, with Miss Pussycat mumbling some orders to a new schizo dance craze, and keys that reminds me of New Order crossed with a silent film score for some reason. Then Quintron starts in with that beautiful falsetto, singing “I’m a believer,” causing me and all the girls’ hearts to melt en masse. And the handclaps? Kill me now. How about that organ and synth vamping, like Wendy Carlos in the disco flatbed truck from the Jackass movie. “I’m Not Busy” features guest raps from MC Tracheotomy, who sleazes all over the track and keeps up with every organ freakout. It’s total velvet hip hop with some funky Drum-Buddy breakdowns and Prince-ly falsetto courtesy of Quintron. That fucking falsetto, that’s soul. I dig the call and response chorus between Pussycat and the ever-more-freaked out Quintron. This one’s a tricked-out monster.
“Cave Formation” is a Miss Pussycat solo spotlight with a little geology lesson about stalactites and stalagmites hidden in there. It’s a tiny insect lullaby. “The Beach” is a total raveup of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello proportions. I love the Pussycat shouts of “Rhinestone Records!” that kick it off. Handclaps and distorted organ solos with fucking awesome sloganeering lyrics win me over. Make out now! Yeah! “Underwater Dance Club” whispers sweet nothings into my ear about a secret submerged club in New Orleans that may or may not exist. But Mr. Buffet’s niece knows all about it! Damn her. “If you don’t know, you don’t need to know!” Ouch! The girl/boy vocal interplay here is particularly beautiful on some pre-verbal level, and the organs are all opulent like Captain Nemo’s chambers.
And the cover is fucking cool too, a homage to those ‘randy’ Scorpions covers, with Miss Pussycat looking roller rink-tastic, and I DO want that airbrushed pink Quintron shirt. “Are You Ready For An Organ Solo?” is the best Quintron album yet. My broken heart ain’t broken no more.
Three.One.G Records: http://www.threeoneg.com/ • Fucking Quintron: http://www.drumbuddy.com/
