What are we talking about?
Biscuit Beard is the latest single by Frau Pouch, a 3 piece from the good ole town of ‘Bumblefuck Medway’, Kent, have been releasing brilliantly disgusting Art Punk since 2011 and are currently signed to Skingasm records. It’s always good to see a band with a sense of humour, and one look through the bands social media accounts showed a pleasing mix of flippancy and absurdism.
What hooked me?
This is a track that hits several of my weak spots. What first struck me square in the eardrum was the bass, overdriven to the point of producing metallic harmonics, which created a barking sound to drive the track. The strength of the bass riff makes it the core of song, with variations in music of the track still relating to it. This is propelled by drums so frenetic they sound like they’re on the verge of toppling over, yet are completely under the control of the drummer. Over the top of this comes yelped, ever so slightly camped up performative vocals, half-Talking Heads, half-Pulled Apart by Horses, which tell the moving story of a man living through every hipster barman’s worst nightmare, getting biscuit crumbs in his beard. It’s an absurd tale which completely fits the image of the track, and the image of the band.
Artwork
Added to this comes the eyecatching artwork is in a sort of DIY (Yeah Buddy!) cut and paste style, complete with nice big tippex streaks and waving dinosaur.
Feedback
It is the artwork, with the manic looking dinosaur taking centre stage, provides quite a good visualisation of the song. This is the sound of a Velociraptor going on a messy night to a small town club, consuming everything placed in front of it, harassing hen parties and urinating in a policeman’s hat (hint: music video). The drums provide the intoxication and the bass the antisocial element around which the song is based. Interposed between the frenetic verses come what are essentially break sections, featuring crashing drums and less staccato bass. Bringing in some equally funky yet dirty guitar work, these breaks are effective in creating a space around the epileptic verses which develops around the riff without letting any of the song’s razor wire tension drop. The disco-esque inflections of the guitar knowingly nod to the fact you could as easily dance as you could mosh to ‘Biscuit Beard’, however it’s the surrealist wit of the lyrics that appealed to me the most. In a time where reality is becoming a little worrying, the surreality of music such as this provides a good respite.
Summary
This song is immediate in how it approaches your ears, at 2.10 it’s in the short and sweet category. However there is plenty to stay for, the ideas are original, concise and not over used, giving you reason to revisit. This is the sort of skewered art punk that one could imagine David Byrne boxing to. In short, it’s well fun.
Line from the band
In classic Frau fashion we got a short and to the point quote- 'We play shambolic, sci-fi, nerd punk. Biscuit Beard is probably the happiest track on Fairymares, things get weird/dark from there.'
Vital info
Upcoming gigs - Friday 11th November at The Nags Head, Rochester
New album "Fairymares" out soon on Skingasm Records
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviewer
Catch Max Baker in the street and he will not shut up about his band, Barlon Rando, Parrot Punk revivalists, for whom he cannot in any way slap the bass.
Biscuit Beard is the latest single by Frau Pouch, a 3 piece from the good ole town of ‘Bumblefuck Medway’, Kent, have been releasing brilliantly disgusting Art Punk since 2011 and are currently signed to Skingasm records. It’s always good to see a band with a sense of humour, and one look through the bands social media accounts showed a pleasing mix of flippancy and absurdism.
What hooked me?
This is a track that hits several of my weak spots. What first struck me square in the eardrum was the bass, overdriven to the point of producing metallic harmonics, which created a barking sound to drive the track. The strength of the bass riff makes it the core of song, with variations in music of the track still relating to it. This is propelled by drums so frenetic they sound like they’re on the verge of toppling over, yet are completely under the control of the drummer. Over the top of this comes yelped, ever so slightly camped up performative vocals, half-Talking Heads, half-Pulled Apart by Horses, which tell the moving story of a man living through every hipster barman’s worst nightmare, getting biscuit crumbs in his beard. It’s an absurd tale which completely fits the image of the track, and the image of the band.
Artwork
Added to this comes the eyecatching artwork is in a sort of DIY (Yeah Buddy!) cut and paste style, complete with nice big tippex streaks and waving dinosaur.
Feedback
It is the artwork, with the manic looking dinosaur taking centre stage, provides quite a good visualisation of the song. This is the sound of a Velociraptor going on a messy night to a small town club, consuming everything placed in front of it, harassing hen parties and urinating in a policeman’s hat (hint: music video). The drums provide the intoxication and the bass the antisocial element around which the song is based. Interposed between the frenetic verses come what are essentially break sections, featuring crashing drums and less staccato bass. Bringing in some equally funky yet dirty guitar work, these breaks are effective in creating a space around the epileptic verses which develops around the riff without letting any of the song’s razor wire tension drop. The disco-esque inflections of the guitar knowingly nod to the fact you could as easily dance as you could mosh to ‘Biscuit Beard’, however it’s the surrealist wit of the lyrics that appealed to me the most. In a time where reality is becoming a little worrying, the surreality of music such as this provides a good respite.
Summary
This song is immediate in how it approaches your ears, at 2.10 it’s in the short and sweet category. However there is plenty to stay for, the ideas are original, concise and not over used, giving you reason to revisit. This is the sort of skewered art punk that one could imagine David Byrne boxing to. In short, it’s well fun.
Line from the band
In classic Frau fashion we got a short and to the point quote- 'We play shambolic, sci-fi, nerd punk. Biscuit Beard is probably the happiest track on Fairymares, things get weird/dark from there.'
Vital info
Upcoming gigs - Friday 11th November at The Nags Head, Rochester
New album "Fairymares" out soon on Skingasm Records
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviewer
Catch Max Baker in the street and he will not shut up about his band, Barlon Rando, Parrot Punk revivalists, for whom he cannot in any way slap the bass.