Returning the focus to his paperback, he asks; "Can you handle it, d'you think?"
"I dunno" says I, glaring now at my reflection on the underside of the disc itself, red-ring eyes and unshaven jaw all flush with patchy bum-fluff fuzz. "Harsh times of late, you'll be aware. Break-ups, panic attacks, Grindhouse being released as two separate flicks… Last thing a man needs on top of all that is an hour's worth of a bi-polar fella screeching about Nazi sharks and shock therapy."
A shrug. "Maybe it'll be funny. Like that Ricky Gervais stuff about sharks would've found Anne Frank in seconds."
"Maybe…" I say, rising then to my feet. "Maybe…"
Here and now, with that galloping, bigmuff stew slapped about the ear-holes, with the head afire with the rockabilly rompin' and the dropped-D sing-a-longs and with Ben Brisini howling and barking and raging like a rabid dog left and right, I'm thinking; "This is just the tonic I needed."
Silly bastard - such was the part performed by me and my fine self for to have been so apprehensive with regards that first jab of a forefinger off of the play button.
Discordant chaos? Impenetrable sheets of terrifying, hysterical, rotten dot com barbarity? Fuck the bit of it.
The Underwater Fascists is, it transpires, an absolute joy of a record. It's amongst the most distinctive, memorable records I've encountered this year, and seeing as how this year has also offered the likes of Cassadaga and Icky Thump and Easy Tiger and Volta and Favourite Worst Nightmare and If The Ocean Gets Rough and those Traveling Wilburys reissues, that's a hell of a feat accomplished right there.
Sonically, Touchers lurch and loll and loiter in and around a muck-crusted pasture I'm gonna go ahead and name Scuzz-Folk, or Dirty-Bastard-Country-Grunge, if you'd prefer.
The sounds they create are of a sort you'd expect to find not underwater, but coiled about the trunk of some ancient, weather-wrecked cypress tree, a gargantuan article situated top a hillside overlooking a fifteen-mile industrial sprawl. From the branches; great glooping splods of factory-reek-hued sap bubble and pop, the rust-coloured leaves pawed and ruffled by a brooding, ash-grey breeze.
Article comments
1 - A.L. Harper
It hurts me that I am not as talented as you are Duke. I feel it is my job to somehow put a stop to people like you; all oozing with talent and humility.
I hate you.
2 - Mark Saleski
slumbering ocean-woman, naked, the seaweed all coiling about her thighs and her arms and the nooks down yonder by the hoo-hah.
now that...is art. ;-)
3 - DukeDeMondo
UPDATE - I just found out about three seconds ago that Ben Brisini was found dead last week. Suicide is suspected. this is fuckin shockin and sickening. my thoughts are with the family, friends and fans. Jesus Christ.
4 - DukeDeMondo
Ms Harper, Sir Saleski, thank you both for chippin in. Ms Harper - you're swellin my head to me, as the nun said to the leper etc etc. but thank you, beautiful things to hear. or to read.
5 - drew
suicide is not suspected.....he did not kill himself, intentionally at least. he was a good guy.
6 - DukeDeMondo
drew - thank you for clearin that. i was goin on information i received from the band's label. that was pretty much word for word - "not certain, but suicide is suspected."
7 - Aaron Fleming
Stunning, as always!
8 - DukeDeMondo
thank you Sir Fleming! glad you dug it.
9 - Mistress Decaf
I don't know who is fooling whom here - But I am the Label Manager for Mental Records - The label which which Ben / Touchers recently signed. Please, go to our website - nowhere now, or EVER have we stated anything but remorse, at the loss of such an amazing talent. Anyone trying to capitalize on his death is a coward and a fool. Please don't act like the large masses of sheep running around ferral today spouting off what you "heard" without checking first. His death is not a reason for gossip, or speculation and if you understand what his songs are about - you might just realize that.
10 - DukeDeMondo
Mistress, i don't know what you're referring to there. if it's the comments regarding the recent news, and about where said comments came from, i recieved them, i was under the impression, as fact from Wantage USA. no-one is trying to spread gossip or speculate on anything. i recieved the news about an hour or so after this had been posted, i think, and the immediate reaction was to include it as an update underneath. it seemed the thing to do. certainly if my information was wrong, i apologise, and even if it's not wrong i apologise anyway if it looks like i meant to stoke any fires of rumour or gossip. I just related what i'd been told as a postscript. Should have checked, certainly.
11 - john
i love you ben and i miss you. you still make me laugh. sharing stories, the music, the one in a billion personality....you will never be forgotten.