Breaking World Records (or something like that) with Bang! Bros and Cotton Candy
Admit it, we all looked in admiration and horror at fingernails man in the old Guinness Book of World Records. Today is a new era, where everyday people just like you too can try and break a world record too! Today, Boston electro-smash duo Bang! Bros are actually trying to break the Flaming Lips record by attempting to play 12 shows in 12 different cities within a 24 hour period (get it? 12/12? Oh, and the Flaming Lips record was 8). Meanwhile, Cotton Candy have released their newest LP, Off-the-Hook and Out-of-Control, with 33 tracks clocking in at just shy of 17 minutes. That's got to be a world record, or something?
Great chefs always say that their favorite food is a corn dog, which is kind of how I feel about Bang! Bros. For every time I've tried to patiently sit through an indie pop album or appreciate someone's winsome lyrics, Bang! Bros on-the-fly collaging of white noise and electronic sound (which is both musical and technically impressive to see) totally cleans out my brain and sets me right. Granted, they are bending the rules a little bit by playing in places like caves and lawns, but they do have a few shows on the *official* books tonight that anyone in need of a good cleansing should go see. I'm A LOT more worried about how Thom Simon (Arkm Foam) and Mark Johnson (Ed Roland) will be faring at the end of all of this than how the average music fan would feel after witnessing one of their sets!
8PM, Lowell, MA @ UnchARTed Studios w/ Of The Sun
10PM, Worcester, MA @ Firehouse w/ Bubbly Mommy Gun
2AM, Providence @ PR Matrix Hex w/ Fat Worm of Error
This morning when I first looked at how many tracks it contained, Cotton Candy's 2nd LP looked like it was going to be a sprawling Shakespearean affair. With closer examination though, I came to discover that tracks like "Salad Shooter" and "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" clocked in at a mere 4 seconds a piece! In fact, I put it on and went and grabbed a coffee. When I came back it was over.
In addition to their dandy covers of jingles past and present, Cotton Candy (Mark Robinson and Evelyn Hurley) also write some new jingles for local treasures such as Weirdo Records, the Mount Vernon Restaurant (yes!) and Traniwreck. Buy it on iTunes or order it directly from Robinson himself at teenbeat.net for the kitsch lover in your life.
Check out some new Cotton Candy on Cotton Candy's Soundcloud!
Not sure if you're actually going to get into the book, but good effort guys. You might not win world records, but you win this prize. May you meet at the four corners and play 144 songs in 30 minutes in 4 states.
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About the author
Jonathan Donaldson is a Boston-based musician, writer, and second-generation music junkie. An Ohio native who moved to Boston in 1998, Jonathan's musical loves include R&B, psych, punk, bubblegum, country, electronic, More »Recent blog posts
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