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RUBBERLEGS: "The Timinator: Boyfriends, Vol. 1" CD Review by Jed Ryan From the "Tron"-influenced artwork on the cover of "The Timinator: Boyfriends, Vol. 1", the sophomore CD release from downtown NYC cult group Rubberlegs, the innocent listener-to-be may suspect that he's in for something outside of the confines of safe and harmless aural entertainment. He's right. Not content to fit into any predesigned category or to be lumped with any other so-called "cookie-cutter stagnabands", Rubberlegs has created a whole new genre for their captivating style of pop music. The current, newly energized incarnation of the group-- Gordon Smith (AKA "Peg Rubberleg", synth and lead vocals) Bunny Lake (synth and vocals), and Anthony Maulella (percussion)-- weren't just |
influenced by the so-called alternative, new-wave
sounds of the '80s (Think Depeche Mode, OMD, and The Flying Lizards-- but don't
think about them too long...). They lived the era-- big hair and
all. Pop music from that generation-- where Pac-Man and Rubik's cube were
worshipped as the new gods-- was often criticized for relying too much on
electronic special effects, presumably taking away from the "human" or
"organic" aspects of the music. Rubberlegs boldly defies that
criticism, proudly indulging in a variety of electronic clicks, whirrs, blips,
chirps, space age-influenced musical nuances, and other outrageous sound
effects: human, non-human, and in-between. Using the alternative music
that they lived through, and the electronic alchemy that they continue to
create, a new genre has emerged: Alt.tronica. "The Timinator:
Boyfriends, Vol. 1" may evoke the gayest, most personal album that The Pet
Shop Boys never made. A big difference is that those British boys' unique
sound was characterized by Neil Tennant's steely, distant delivery, as if even
his vocal chords were synthetically created by a computer as well. In
other words, when singing immortal phrases like "I love you, you pay my
rent...", his voice wasn't exactly high on old-fashioned sentiment or
emotion. After you become familiar with Rubberlegs' music, you can have
fun imagining Gordon Smith singing those same lyrics with his truly
irreplaceable vox, and you'll note the difference. The album's calling
card, "The Timinator", matches the presumed larger-than-life persona
of its subject ("No one is immune from 'The Timinator'!") with
appropriately over-the-top lyrics and musical effects-- and some double
entendres thrown in. When Gordon croons, "He came in from the farthest left
field", one has to wonder if he's talking about politics or softball, given
the Timinator's real-life inspiration's love of the sport. There are three
versions of the track on this album, all of which are characteristically
hard-hitting and infectious. Another featured Rubberlegs favorite in the
making is "Bound and Gagged", an unorthodox love song which describes
that gray area between commitment ring on your finger and ball 'n' chain around
your leg: "When doing thing as alone, you can't escape the phone; It haunts
you everywhere, won't you stay out of my hair? I want to get some work done, You
want to have your quirk fun..." Rubberlegs groupies may declare, "But
wait! Wasn't this song on their first album, 'Leg Warmers,
Reheated'?" Yes, it most assuredly was-- but as more astute fans of
the group already know, that song was never officially completed. This
finalized product alters the original's mid-tempo version just slightly, with a
more ethereal, dreamy, and (dare I say) romantic sound. A more
sparse version of "Bound and Gagged" (the Chafe Mix) also appears on
the CD, pointing out that Gordon's voice can indeed stand on its own.
As their fans know, Rubberlegs' live performances are
just as high in energy as their album offerings, and to prove it, "The
Timinator: Boyfriends, Vol. 1" features a live version of one of Rubberlegs'
emblematic classics, "People Who Talk in Elevators", complete with the
song's trademark quirky vocalizations. "Lawnchairs", one of the
last new wave hits from the '80's (from the group Our Daughter's Wedding in
1981) that hasn't been yet discovered (and subsequently exploited...) for a
commercial for Old Navy or Target, also gets the live treatment here. This
time, Bunny Lake gets the lead vocals and, the listener will agree, he does the
job very well, capturing that a somewhat enigmatic aura so often employed by the
alterna-pop performers of the '80's. The EP closes with a steely, almost
vocal-free version of "The Timinator".
The two weapons in Rubberlegs' all-out war on musical
banality are Gordon Smith's voice, bordering between soulful and transcendental
(Some may say, perhaps more appropriately, "otherworldly"), and
Rubberlegs' high-tech musical mastery, courtesy of all three of these gents
(Some may say, perhaps more appropriately, "sick puppies"). But
underneath the natural talents of these three guys, and the endless bag of
electronic tricks on the album, at the heart of the title track "The
Timinator" is a sweet, classically simple boy-boy love story. And
isn't it about time we had one? Granted, its questionable whether the real-life
inspiration for the song can melt ice caps with just his presence, like his
superhero alter ego... but there's little doubt that he inspired his petit ami
Gordon to start making music again. And for that, we can all thank
"The Timinator".
You won't be immune from the charms of "The
Timinator: Boyfriends, Vol. 1". Buy this CD-- and check out more
about Rubberlegs-- at www.Rubberlegs.com
.
Jed Ryan
PM Entertainment Magazine
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