The Underwater Fascist is the kinda record Johnny Cash might've ended up making if that "Rusty Cage" cover had been his idea. Kinda record Neil Young And Crazy Horse would've maybe crafted had they hung about with Eddie Vedder a couple albums longer.
Kinda record Uncle Tupelo may have gotten around to eventually, had they gone on long enough to get lazy and need to "re-discover ourselves" - i.e., get some new haircuts and some louder guitars and some ballads shorn of string arrangements and lyrics about "fuck".
It's a record lurches violently atween aching, ragged, tender beauty and head-down, arse-in-the-air, riff-sick abandon. It's as in love with the notion of a lilting, melancholy lullaby as it is with the idea of driving half your face into your kidneys with a power-chord the size of fifteen whale-bellies.
At times it sounds like someone's taken a soldering iron to Surfer Rosa by The Pixies and the first Two Gallants album, joining the buggers at the bifkins and sending them racing out into the evening with a bagful of sticks and ECT-fried academics and hooks you could cripple a hovercraft with. Other times it's a bit like a less lo-fi Moldy Peaches, with lyrics about "I think you are beautiful, but you are for the worms" and "my brain is out to get me" instead of "Who'm I s'posed to stick my dick in?" or "I'm downloading porn with Dave".
The influences are readily apparent, yes (in addition to the aforementioned, note also the Paul Simonon basslines, the screeching Black Flag rage, the smatterings of Sun-era Elvis - why not, it's in the public domain now anyway, I heard) and yet Touchers' sound is wholly unique. The phrase "They sound a bit like Touchers" seems totally plausible as a manner of describing some Dirty-Bastard-Country-Grunge outfit might maybe materialize in the near future.
Sometime after the fifth spin, I'm addressing once more my friend from the second or third paragraph. "I was wrong" I'm saying. "Wrong as a cat-head hung from a vicar's bell-end."
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.