Music

FOETUS – [CIRR]

May 6, 2023

“Cirrhosis Of The Heart (Amon Tobin mix)”

Normally, Thirlwell is a pretty self-possessed individual; one who remixes but doesn’t allow remixes of his own works.

I’m thankful he allowed for BLOW to exist because the results are amazing, especially this Amon Tobin remix of “Cirrhosis Of The Heart”.

Enjoy.

FOETUS – [SSYP]

May 5, 2023

“The Ballad of Sisyphus T. Jones”

This is an absolutely thunderous maelstrom of a spaghetti western-influenced song.

It exemplifies all of the best attributes of FOTEUS/Thirlwell: leaning on pre-existing genres, while twisting them to more idiosyncratic means.

One of the best part of FOETUS and Thirlwell is: he loves strings! As an ex-cello player, I revel in that sort of thing!

It is absolutely brilliant and endlessly listenable.

FOETUS – [VIVA]

May 4, 2023

“ANYTHING (VIVA!)”

This is an endless array of brilliant spoken words posited against an unrelenting series of industrial noises, escalating into an amazingly hooky guitar riff that matches perfectly with Thirlwell’s gruff voice, pausing only temporarily for a strange synth interlude.

“Fee. Fi. Fo. Fum. It takes two to tangle; it takes one to cum.”

“A pound of protection beats an ounce of lead.”

As with prior FOETUS songs, I prefer the MALE live version because of its more languid and refined pacing (until it escalates), but the studio version is still brilliant:

“Change your mind and mind your change!”

FOETUS – [POOL]

May 3, 2023

“Someone Drowned in My Pool”

I love how cavalierly nostalgic and languid this song is until it isn’t. It luxuriates in reminiscence and makes me feel like Audrey Horne swaying in the Double R diner, until it escalates to a frenzied conclusion that is amazingly cathartic.

I prefer the live rendition presented via MALE but the original Wiseblood recording is damn fine as well:

(Worth noting this is the 12″ edition, not the original, nor the MALE version!)

FOETUS – [PLND]

May 2, 2023

“I’ll Meet You in Poland Baby”

Ostensibly, this is a musical historical re-enactment.

Except, it really isn’t. At least, not the way I hear it.

When I hear it, it’s nakedly about a romance spectacularly self-destructing.

“I’ll Meet You in Poland Baby” is quintessential FOETUS: all mannered orchestrations and programming and subversive authoritarian groundwork and a lot of emotions.

Similarly with the upcoming “Someone Drowned in My Pool”, I prefer the live MALE version, but really, every version is brilliant and worth listening to.

“TODAY IS FIRST OF SEPTEMBER! SEE YOU AT YOUR FUNERAL, BABY!”

FOETUS – [CHRT]

May 1, 2023

“The Only Good Christian is a Dead Christian”

Don’t take this title at face value; it’s more complex than it reads. It’s all about alcoholism and hiding your bullshit, a facet that Jim Thirlwell has struggled with for years and, obviously, hasn’t been shy about.

A friend of mine interviewed him way back in the 90s and stated: “I’ve never seen someone drink so much Jagermeister.” Given the time period, that’s saying something.

Obviously, Thirlwell is still alive, so he’s doing — if not well, then surviving — but it’s an evocative song.

FOTEUS – [INTR]

April 30, 2023

If you consume any modern media, you’ve probably heard Jim Thirlwell’s work, even if you don’t recognize the name. He does a litany of orchestrations, most notably for THE VENTURE BROS. [R.I.P.]

He’s best known for a cacophony of minor chords, idiosyncratic programming, brassy elements, and emotional lyricism.

He has an amazingly rich and inventive back-catalog that extends back several decades and has consistently impressed and influenced me over the years.

I could spend an entire year writing about his works, but instead I’m cherry-picking from a handful of select albums.

I’ll note that I’ll indulge Thirlwell’s love of four-character verbs, even if that means dropping a few vowels and swapping in nouns.

So, starting Monday, welcome to “FOETUS ‘WEEK’”!

JUNO REACTOR – “Return of the Pistolero” (2019)

April 15, 2023

This is a brilliant revisiting of a classic. It feels so crisp, so clean, so re-invented but also familiar! I can’t get enough of it, and I’m frankly surprised it exists, because JUNO REACTOR has provided so many brilliant “Pistolero” mixes already! But who am I to turn down a bit more self-indulgence?! Electro is all about its hedonism.

JUNO REACTOR – “Pistolero” [Mr. Black] (2013)

April 14, 2023

This might as well be called the “Coachella remix”. It’s all about hedonism, self-promotion, the worst parts of club culture, exploitation of others, and patched together by stock footage. It’s basically THE WHITE LOTUS: the music video — without repercussions, however, so many reverberations — but damn, it still bangs. Maybe listen to it while viewing other browser tabs.

Gotta admit: I absolutely love the person throwing fingers in a NASA outfit.