Interesting.
So: King Missile - novelty band?
We killed a homeless man on this bench. Me and Dru. Those were good times. You know, he begged for mercy, and you know, that only made her bite harder.
Spike ,'Sleeper'
Buffista Music 4: Needs More Cowbell!
There's a lady plays her fav'rite records/On the jukebox ev'ry day/All day long she plays the same old songs/And she believes the things that they say/She sings along with all the saddest songs/And she believes the stories are real/She lets the music dictate the way that she feels.
tommyrot - Mar 26, 2010 6:58:14 am PDT #2778 of 6438
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
DavidS - Mar 26, 2010 7:00:57 am PDT #2779 of 6438
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
So: King Missile - novelty band?
"Detachable Penis" is definitely a novelty song in my book.
Bongwater also veer heavily into novelty territory.
Frankenbuddha - Mar 26, 2010 7:01:08 am PDT #2780 of 6438
"We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town...Beep! Beep!" - David Bowie, "Fashion"
In the same (jugular?) vein - Bongwater - novelty band?
Dana - Mar 26, 2010 7:01:11 am PDT #2781 of 6438
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.
And it makes a great vid.
DavidS - Mar 26, 2010 7:01:48 am PDT #2782 of 6438
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
In the same (jugular?) vein - Bongwater - novelty band?
Heh. See my edit. Sometimes.
Frankenbuddha - Mar 26, 2010 7:05:07 am PDT #2783 of 6438
"We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town...Beep! Beep!" - David Bowie, "Fashion"
Heh. See my edit. Sometimes.
Heh indeed. Though I think both might argue "performance art" vs. "novelty".
Which brings us (or me at least) to the question of Laurie Anderson. I'd definitely say not a novelty act, though some of her songs are funny enough to qualify.
DavidS - Mar 26, 2010 7:07:37 am PDT #2784 of 6438
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Part of the problem is this:
I say, "No, it's too awesome to be a novelty song!"
Novelty songs can be awesome! Famously, a lot of novelty bands featured top notch musicianship. Notably Spike Jones band. And the Bonzo Dog Band isn't only a novelty band, though songs like "The Intro and the Outro" work perfectly well as novelty. I mean Monty Python Sings is an album full of novelty songs but they're brilliant and hilarious and have that dark, Python undertow.
P.M. Marc - Mar 26, 2010 7:09:10 am PDT #2785 of 6438
So come, my friends, be not afraid/We are so lightly here/It is in love that we are made; In love we disappear
"Dick in a Box" is another recent classic novelty song, and video. It's not a song parody, but it does parody boy band video conventions.
No, not really with the boy band video conventions, but it does parody the immediate pre-grunge era top 40 music video style effectively.
DavidS - Mar 26, 2010 7:10:12 am PDT #2786 of 6438
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
I'd definitely say not a novelty act, though some of her songs are funny enough to qualify.
Right. "O Superman" is a serious song, but it was a hit as a novelty. Dry irony can be mistaken.
Oftentimes the novelty of the song is that it's an unfamiliar genre. The first rap hit, "Double Dutch" was sold as a novelty. "Stars on 45" were also considered novelty songs. Cut-ins were novelties.
DavidS - Mar 26, 2010 7:13:42 am PDT #2787 of 6438
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
but it does parody the immediate pre-grunge era top 40 music video style effectively.
Yeah, I guess boy bands didn't really sport that beard that Justin was wearing in the video.