Six Eye Columbia – “Frowny Frown ” – [Douche Bagophon]

Max Level   12/24/2005   12-inch, A Library

Creative and very well done cover versions. SEC is an SF quintet, evidently around since 1997 but this is my first exposure to them. Make no mistake, they can write and play their own “rock” material just fine, but this LP has a different agenda: it’s chock full of completely bent arrangements of songs by The Stranglers, Motorhead, Guided By Voices, Roxy Music, Hall & Oates, and a few others. Track 1 is a simple distorto-rocker similar to Coachwhips. Track 2 is an acoustic hoedown take on a speed-metal classic. Track 3 is a fairly straight reading of a Portishead song. Track 14 is an angelic acappella doo-wop version of a Descendents tune. High points for me: Track 7 applies the junkyard sound of Swordfishtrombones to a Black Flag number, Track 8 (written by Dr. Seuss!) is torture chamber sludge, and Track 12 is an amazing marriage of Roxy’s “Casanova” with Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”. Don’t miss this record. Every track a winner!