« Sorry about the dark | Main | Noun plus verb plus adverb minus interest »
June 30, 2005
Colonial top of the pops
Camp Tigerclaw - Banana Boat
The school that I work at (and graduated from) doesn't really have what I would call a vibrant music scene. There are some legendary campus bands (Velveteens, Cowboys & Engines, Dean Fields; also, and I'm sort of ashamed of this, but the guys from Seven Mary Three ["Cumbersome"?] graduated from my and Greenideas Matt's alma mater), but for every decent act that's emerged, there are at least a dozen morbidly untalented bands that wail away in fruitless attempts at songwriting, etc. Which is why Camp Tigerclaw was such a breath of fresh air. Here was a band that actually knew how to play their instruments (and well, too), and who could put on a tight live set. Unfortunately, these guys have all left, and are not continuing with the band at all- however, they've left behind an impressive body of work.
'Banana Boat' requires a little background information for full enjoyment. First of all, there's a spot on campus- a large expanse of beautifully kept Bermuda grass- where, in the spring, everyone goes to get a tan. Especially the girls (which is why, on sunny days, this spot is known as the 'sea of ass'). Second of all, this is probably the band's best song (possibly tied with 'Pluto' or 'Denim'), and definitely one of the most well-arranged. It starts with such a delicate, sweet bassline, just perfectly confident and thick, and then some concise guitar notes are dropped in (this intro reminds me of something like a blank plate swirled with chocolate and raspberry syrup, in preparation for a fragile, rich dessert). Then this track punches you in the chest while you're not paying attention, as if to say, "hey, stop nerding out for a second and look at that". (if you need some shorthand here: sounds like Weezer or GBV, lyrically they're more akin to the Unicorns).
Camp Tigerclaw were a great band, with a lot of potential. It's a shame that they never recorded anything in a real studio (the quality of this track is such that you'll probably have to turn up the volume a whole lot), but at least they got a chance to play a ton of shows, and entertain whole herds of aimless, stressed-out students. If you like this song and would like to hear some more of their stuff, get in touch.
Posted by Kevin at June 30, 2005 09:14 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.greenideasblog.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/3396