Nerds, your search for quality humor in music is over.
If you never heard of Da Vinci's Notebook, they were the engineers of such brilliant comedy songs as Enormous Penis, Title of the Song and I Wish I Were. DVN was a four-man a capella band based out of Washington, D.C. They are no longer together, but Paul and Storm is the second incarnation of DVN.
Paul Sabourin and Greg "Storm" DiCostanzo showcase their music capabilities by incoprorating instruments into their songs. Their debut album, "Shame and Cookie Dough" does just that—even if they don't do it for very long.
The CD consists of seven songs, then those same seven songs repeated with director's commentary—a unique and effective tool Paul and Storm use to increase both the humor in the CD and the dismal length of the album.
Six Guys, Ten Teeth is a mockery of rednecks going out all night, drinking and causing trouble. The Ballad of Eddie Praeger is a spoof of a folk song, and in the commentary version of the song Paul and Storm mention Gordon Lightfoot as a main target. Why, Baby, Why? is a short song about a high-pitched boy crying out to his ex-girlfriend, and asking why she kicked him in the nether region. The Ballad of the Sneak is a song that originally appeared on the website HomestarRunner.com as the music to one of the animated cartoons. The album wraps up with three very short songs, which are what they call "rejected commercial jingles." The premise of these songs were that Paul and Storm wrote songs for products that the companies did not buy. In actuality, Paul and Storm make fun of the three products: The board game Twister, NECCO Wafers and Pillsbury Cookie Dough.
Those seven songs are then repeated with Paul and Storm making oddball comments about the songs, and sometimes go off on a tangent. It is evident that this commentary is not scripted and portrays the duet as two genuinely funny people.
The obvious drawback is that the seven songs, even when they appear on the album twice, do not even make up 30 minutes of music. Thankfully the album is only $10.00.
The songs themselves, as compared to those written by DVN, are not as funny. Still, this is a debut album and they promise more albums in the future. The rejected commercial jingles proves to be a promising gimmick in their later work. Their website also has a preview of another line of gimmick songs—takeoffs of Schoolhous Rock songs.
"Shame and Cookie Dough" is a must-buy for any former DVN fans, and hardcore fans of HomestarRunner.com will hopefully enjoy this comedy as well. Paul and Storm are obvious cool nerds (the good kind), and their brand of humor should appeal to people that actually have healthy senses of humor.
So if you reached into your cargo pants and found an extra President Hamilton in your pocket, it's definitely worth its price.
To purchase this album for $10 (+S&H), visit
this link or visit their official website.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
Thanks and welcome Matt! I had neve even heard of these guys, I learn something everyday
2 - Michael Croft
I'm a big DVN fan. They're a bit like Moxy Fruvous, which is a good thing. Paul and Storm opened for the Asylum Street Spankers when we saw them in NYC, which was a total bonus. I'm not sure how I'll like the guitars long term, but we'll see.
I think there are a few DVN tour dates left, but not many.
3 - Lena
I also am a huge DVN fan, and there's one more tour date left - the Philly Folk Festival later this month. I've seen Paul & Storm as a duo several times by now, and their performance and their confidence only improve every time I see them.