Hey Venus!

Some of my favorite music contains some sort of contradictions. Lyrics don’t match up to the singer’s voice, tonality and beat don’t match the mood of the lyrics-some measure of irony is always a bit nice.

Other than the obvious and oft-noted disconnect between Morrissey’s upbeat and lighthearted Girlfriend in a Coma-as compared to its subject matter, there are a few other bands that delight with this sort of welcomed confusion.

Gruff Rhys, lead astronaut of psychedelic Welsh band Super Furry Animals (light listeners may remember their hit song “Juxtaposed with U” from 2001’s brilliant “Rings Around the World”) has always had the tendency that many non-native lyricist do--make things up, make them funny and make them weird.






One of the more soothing songs from Rings was Presidential Suite. The mellow horns and minor-chord melody would lead you to believe this tune is simply a love song-an expression from one poor romantic youth to another detailing the “how it should be”s of life. But listen closely to the opening and hear,



Monica and naughty Billy
Got together something silly now

Holy wars out of lusty minutes
Another Cuban cigar crisis

Honestly!
Do we need to know if he really came inside her mouth?
How will all this affect me
Now and later?

Ah, now its quite obvious- an admonition of America’s silly focus on the details of Clinton’s sex scandal, amid other growing tensions throughout the world that could possibly use just a bit more attention. Set to a dreamy pop melody, of course.


On their brand new album, the first in 3 years, Hey Venus! Continues in this vein and blows it all out to space in the meantime.

They still hit the humorous notes, such as in Baby Ate my Eightball, where a baby literally eats the entire package and is sent to the ER. Slow Your Hand reminds of masturbation addiction, but is really about gambling. And Battersy Odyssey is just plain, well, a perfect pop song.

In an interview with Pitchforkmedia, Gruff reveled that the song Run-Away was inspired by listening to 7’’ singles form the 1960’s girl-group “Les Surfs”. Along with this obvious doo-wop inspired tune comes its partner, “Carbon Dating” which sounds like a deviously happy group of freed circus performers, floating through space, still atop their elephants, finally able to make the music their leaders would not allow. Or something like that.

Les Surfs


You should check this madness out. It’s quite inspiring. At least, inspiriting enough to try to get to the bottom on the inspirations, contradictions and relaxations that the Super Furries use to come up with this stuff.