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(Click for much, much bigger.)
Studio photographs by Liz Keatch |
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Shimmering West "'Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea' is brimming with ideas confidently and skillfully expressing the bands originality through various musical genres. One gets immersed in constantly changing styles from Latin, Jazz or Metal - with hints of King Crimson here and there. But it is Satans’ cauldron of relentless energy that won’t let go of you.
From Spoz's Rant SATAN'S CHEERLEADERS (****) myspace :: Satan's Cheerleaders. They're a schizophrenic head on collision between 1940's big band, jazz, zydeco, swingdance, flamenco and cartoon thrash. They're Faith No More's "King For A Day / Fool For A Lifetime", Propellerheads' "Crash!", They Might Be Giants, the soundtrack to Pulp Fiction and the 1957 Looney Tunes "The Three Little Bops" pig cartoon playing mad toe-tapping jazz. Predominantly instrumental, occassionally erratic (and possibly improvised) in its vocal delivery; there's very few bands currently existing in Adelaide quite in their insane league.. Yup you know you're onto a good thing with an opening act when you see two free spirited lunatics like THIS cutting it up on the dancefloor fresh out of a roaring 20's speak-easy. This is by no means any small feat for an opening act. You've got your semi-circle of death, you've got your dull stares and your nodding heads, you've got all that grim sobriety to stare you down but not Satan's Cheerleaders tonight.. ooooh no! this is your victory dance right here.. wooooo! :)
"So, smartarse musos get into the studio with a head full of influences and a universe full of ideas. And they cut an album. You reckon you know where it’s going? Nope, you haven’t a clue. Bossa nova to grindcore. Demented circus music to big band swing. Cut-time full metal racket to klezmer orchestra. This simply doesn’t make sense; and that’s the point. Satan’s Cheerleaders is the most serious musical pisstake you’re likely to hear, though this is not to say it’s a jokey album. No, the playing is too intricate, precise, too damn clever; they’re just messing with your head by twisting the styles into places you don’t expect. The gentle cooing of singer Simon Ridley over the sublime Latin jazz of opening song A Tip of the Hat leads you into a trap; exhausting instrumental excursions pepper the album soon afterwards, from the mad Middle Eastern hardcore of Kricfalusi and driving rhythms of The Cursed Hands of Automaton to the surging surf rock twang and twist of SS. Twee café jazz arrives with the noodling saxophones of Champagne, at violent counterpoint to both the roaring rockabilly swing of the amusing 100% Sold on Jesus and the darkly brooding metal epic Asleep in the Deep. When a straight anthemic rock song, Henry’s Lament, lands in the midst of such a maelstrom it comes as a jolting surprise. What’s the market for a peculiar melange of lush noise like this? It’s for anyone with ears, a taste for the overwhelming sensoround pulse of music, and with a decent sense of humour." - David Sly (freelance music critic) From DB Magazine Street press Satan's Cheerleaders interview and review "It would have to be hunting. I'm thinking hunting with blunderbusses, tweed coats and pipes all throughout the English countryside." Satan's Cheerleaders' lead singer Simon Ridley is imagining the devil's favourite sport, "the dark one would hunt reality TV contestants dressed up as animals, Hot Dogs would be first in line," he quips. Being unpredictable has become something of a philosophy for this Adelaide sextet and their independent debut, 'Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea' is indicative of this. It's an album laced with short bursts of frantic energy and just when it comes to a climax, the song turns a corner and ends up somewhere completely unexpected. There are shades of metal, klezmer and smooth jazz and like a huiman jukebox jukebox, front man Ridley changes his attitude to suit. The first song off the album is the smooth and playful A Tip Of The Hat, where Ridley's crooning is not only melancholy but catchy. After this seductive intro fades out and the heavy, chaotic grindings of The Cursed Hands Of Automaton begin, it becomes apparent that you have been duped. "Yeah there's a bit of Houdiniesque misdirection going on there," he admits, "It's pretty much a theme of the entire album, to keep the listener guessing. We brought this to the artwork of the album with me looking like Houdini attempting to escape out of a chamber of water." In Satan's Cheerleaders' case misdirection is a good thing, as it forces the listener to leave their preconceptions at the door. Judging by the ridiculous band member biographies, this is exactly what they want you to do too. Drummer Jarrad Payne has the dubious honour of being the creator of a rehabilitation ward for sarcastic household appliances that love too much, while Jaime Mensforth's bass is actually a gigantic piece of aged steak with strings miraculously attached. The band themselves manage to be genuinely genre-defying, over the course of the album foraying into countless different genres without sounding like an inferior imitation. In the superb 100% Sold On Jesus, the band's two saxophonists dominate the chorus as the rest of the band swing into rockabilly mode as if it was their bread and butter. Ridley explains why the band is so fond of experimental instrumentation: "I think I have the attention span of a seven year old kid with ADD, that's why there are so many sections put in altogether." This is evident in the song Kricfalusi, which sounds as if the band is playing at a Bar Mitzvah and after drinking the spiked punch, begins to improvise Middle Eastern metal. Things get evenstranger on the haunting Into The Abyss, which merely serves to set the stage for the heavy epic Asleep in The Deep. This penchant for experimental instrumentation can be attributed to the band's musical influences which include Frank Zappa, Mr Bungle and John Zorn. "They taught me that you don't have to have a certain style for a band, being exposed to these experimental bands made me realise that there are really no rules." This no rules approach informs the band's creative process too and after only having their debut out for a few months, they already have enough material for their second album. "It's a lot more polished," Ridley beams, "with different instrumentation and also we are going to have different arrangements for every song, the live show is the focus." Satan's Cheerleaders in a live environment is definitely where the capriciousness of this record translates. Each band member responsible for the eccentric changeups in songs on the album comes into their own on stage as the material allows great flexibility and improvisation. Unfortunately, the lads have finished up for live gigs this year but plan to gig extensively throughout next year including dates at the Espy in St Kilda. In what is sure to be a busy year for these lads, one thing is certain - expect the unexpected. - Ryan Beer "A truly amazing and genuinely talented group." - chickenlicken (some dude from Unearthed) "The album sounds awesome, makes me think of clowns having sex with dwarves in a funeral parlour. Love it!" - Foz (graphic designer) "'Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea' sprudelt über mit Ideen, die selbstbewusst und gekonnt, durch verschiedene musikalische Genres die Originalität der Band ausdrücken. Man taucht ein in sich laufend abwechselnde Motive aus Latin, Jazz oder Metal - Andeutungen von King Crimson hier und da. Es ist jedoch dieser teuflische Kessel unaufhörlicher Energie, der einen nicht loslässt. SATAN’S CHEERLEADERS With the arrival of debut album Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea imminent, head Cheerleader Simon Ridley holds down Rip It Up and mentally pummels us with anecdotes about his musical baby.
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