The Frogs
Hopscotch Lollipop Sunday Surprise
Scratchie
The unspoken promise of The Frogs always overrode their actual recorded output, at least for me. I remember seeing photos of these two ridiculous-looking men in ridiculous-looking costumes on the Lollapalooza second stage, singing songs that consciously broke any sexual and racial taboo that was in their way. I heard about homemade tapes that just oozed amateur evil. I was fascinated. Then when I heard their first record for Scratchie, I was completely depressed by the generic alterna-music. Never mind the lyrical bent, this was just so disappointingly normal. It’s better this time around. The Frogs are dealing in some serious sugarcoated vocal harmonies and sensitive melodies, with enough off-kilter instrumentation and hinted menace to cement their reputation as the new sibling crackfiend Carpenters. Did I mention that lush, lush instrumentation (see “Bad Dad” and “Bad Mommy”)? Ornate, baby, and subversive on a par with Anal Cunt’s “Picnic Of Love.” Favored tracks include the trip-hop pastiches “Whisper” and “Bear,” My Bloody Valentine-ish “Enter,” and oh-so-sensitive “Jewel,” with the fucking “You’re not allowed to die” chorus. Choice! Lyrically, man, either they’re dealing with perversion on a level I can’t even begin to fathom (most likely), or there’s some actual longing and regret mixed in with their more scandalous fare. Who knows? Fun little record, either way.
Scratchie Records, http://www.scratchie.com
