Whether it’s performing in a moo moo, making a grand entrance in a giant joint, or covering Snoop Dogg tunes, jam bands have never shied away from getting their dork on. Well, the newest generation of jammers have added a new element of dorking out to the repertoire - the video game cover. For this edition of Bust Outs, we’re taking a trip down memory lane as we present a handful of playful renderings from our favorite video game theme songs of yesteryear.
Ulu – Super Mario Brothers Theme
The list obviously starts with Ulu and their Internet mega-hit rendition of the Super Mario Brothers theme. Back in Napster’s prime, this remarkably true-to-form homage to both levels 1-1 and 1-2 conquered the world and made Ulu a household name – well, depending on whose households you frequent I suppose. The segment where Mario hops off the flagpole and descends down the green tube represents the musical highlight. When that gnarling bass line kicks it, you know it’s time to look out for those irritable Spinys. Ulu was the first band I know of to cover a video game track and for my money, nobody has yet to do it better. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Ulu boys know to jump into that warp zone all the way to level nine when this song comes to close. READ ON for more…
You should have seen this one coming. With gigantic festivals of 40,000+ capacity crowds popping up more often than Willie “Mays” Hayes, the little ones are going to get some praise. Well, the Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL earned plenty of it over this past Memorial Day weekend from the 12,000 attendees who experienced a pretty flawless execution.
[All Photos by Joel Berk]
The wait to get both in and out of the festival totaled – I kid you not – zero seconds, the food and drink vendors were plentiful and delicious (cheers to that veggie pizza stand over by the Sunshine Stage), meeting up with people was a breeze and the bands threw the shit down. Over the course of four days and nights, the weather spanned a range of about forty degrees, the tornado sirens went off, the mud came and went (twice), the sunburn was everywhere and nobody seemed inconvenienced. Why? Because, festivals are pretty easy when there aren’t too many people.
That and the music was really, really fun. READ ON for more from Rupert…
Today marks the debut of yet another new HT once-in-a-while feature, Blips. Blips is our version of an emerging artists column where we’ll highlight some of the new (not Vampire Weekend) bands that have just started showing up on our radar that might just spark your auditory nerve.
We’re not seeking to turn on the hype machine, but rather just to pick out some bands that still only cost you five or ten samloleans for a solid night of fun. If you’re anything like me and know the URL for the IRS’s “Where’s My Refund?” site by memory, these might just come in handy.
I caught Turbine at the Knitting Factory a couple weeks ago as part of a typical four band evening. I don’t even remember who we were there to see, but I do remember these guys. Upon hearing their name for the first time, they will probably catch you off guard as the name Turbine makes me immediately think trance-fusion, livetronica or whatever that shit is called these days, but it’s really a burning bluegrass-tinged guitar, an integral, festive harmonica, and versatile drums and bass. Upon seeing one live show, plowing through a few shows on the archive, and spinning through their MySpace page, you can quickly sense that this band is a group of creative songwriters with a love for a whole slew of genres.
There’s no mistaking that this band will evolve, because in just a short 3 years or so, they already have. They terrain covers bluegrass, country blues, straight-ahead rock, and yes, there is some Untz as well.
Read on for more Turbine, as well as three other new bands you need to hear…
