Would anyone have thought that this St. Louis institution would still be around after their debut some two decades ago? Not sure why I would not have thought that, I guess I thought that they, like most of the indie pop bands (ahem, cuddlecore) bands back then would have just sort of drifted away. Don’t get me wrong, I like Bunnygrunt and am glad they’re still around, Not only are they not afraid to put the pedal-to-the-metal (ie: rock out) but they’ve got a sense of humor too as the Black Sabbath parody on this cover indicates (previous record titles: Jen Fi, Karen Haters Club, Matt Harnish and Other Delights, etc.). OK, so yes, it is Matt Harnish and Karen Reid still at the helm with Neal Peart on drums (actually Eric Von Damage) on this, their 6th record and they barely take a breath here. From the opening looped cough they kick right into “Gimme Five Bucks” ok…..which was just so so, but then the next cut, “Just Like Old Times” is the Bunnygrunt I know and love. “Open My Eyes” tosses some more sand in the pick ups on Matt’s guitar and “Chunt Bump” is the closest they’ve come to the old days (as the press sheet says, “They started off twee but spent so much time on the road that they learned how to rock”). You want more (of course you do),. Check out “The Book That IW Rote,” “Frankie is a Killer” and “Still Chooglin’ (After…)” So wait……apparently the record proper has 8 songs so the other 8 (16 in all….yup, I was once a mathmatecian) are bonus tracks. Best song title: “1000% Not Creepy” (weepop version). Here’s my advice, head down to your local record shop, demand that the clerk order this and then make fun of him if he/she refuses (they deserve it). Yeah, no kiddin’ this rocks.
[Link]