Here's an interesting one for you. After releasing three EPs to huge acclaim, in 1999, The Beta Band were all set to drop their debut album. Trouble is, it wasn't very good, and the band were the first to admit this, calling it a turnip in Select magazine. There's not much to love on the record, it's a mess of over ambition and weirdness, and they rarely manage to pull it off.
In fact, the greatest moment is right at the beginning. A comprehensive "story so far" set against a revolving backdrop of barbershop quartet, bubblegum pop, faux-thug rapping and ultimately demented rockabilly, 'The Beta Band Rap' is both ridiculous and ridiculously good. I can't pick a favourite lyric in it, but "We went to Wales and fannyed around / Ended up with the Patty Patty Sound" probably edges it. I'm pretty sure there's a shoutout to KRS-One in there, but I might just be hearing things.
The band redeemed themselves with two great albums (Hot Shots II and Heroes To Zeroes) but disbanded in late 2004. All are working on their own things these days - Steve Mason dropped an album as King Biscuit Time last year, whilst some band members started The Aliens, whose record dropped in the old country today. Maybe I'll write about it soon. In the meantime, enjoy the weirdest song to come out on a major label that I can think of right now.
[download The Beta Band - The Beta Band Rap]
This one's for Scotland, man, Scotland
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
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King Biscuit Time? Really? I can just picture a guy sitting down to breakfast at a posh restaurant. The waitress comes up and he's like...
"i'd like to order the biscuits."
Waitress: "Would you like to supersize it for the king biscuit?"
Man: "Oh yes, it's King Biscuit Time."
And then she brings him out a bisquit the size of Rhode Island.
And the lyrics were ridiculously awesome. The song is just as crazy. This is definitely not the "Dry the Rain" Beta Band i'm used to.