 The Aquabats - Charge!! Review
. What to make of the Aquabats? Band members have stage names like Jimmy the Robot and MC Bat Commander. On stage they wear identical outfits and masks that make them look like the hybrid of a Mexican wrestler and a cheesy comic book super hero. Then there are song titles like "Tiger Rider vs. the Time Sprinkler!" and "Nerd Alert!" And yes, each exciting song title ends with an exclamation point! What to make of the Aquabats? How about a damn good time? The costumes and the funny lyrics were twin gimmicks to get this group noticed, and it worked. And it stuck. You would think that by now (a decade in) the boys would have abandoned the shtick to show that they're "serious musicians." Instead, they have revved up the ridiculousness to a level way beyond novelty, to a point where it becomes sophistication. MC Bat Commander has a singing voice and style that approximates that of Oingo Boingo's Danny Elfman; that combined with the Aquabats' penchant for zaniness should please fans of the long disbanded Boingo. Some of the funny stuff here is more overt than sublime though, particularly the story of an eternally dumped guy, "Hot Summer Nights (Won't Last Forever)!" The wild ride of "Demolition Rickshaw!" has a funny sing-along chorus too. But the bottom line here is that these guys have mastered their version of ska/punk; the cartoonishness just adds to the fun.
The Aquabats - Charge!! Label:Nitro Track Listing:
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Live: Myles Kennedy's Art of Letting Go U.S. Tour Launches In Joliet
Sites and Sounds: In Memory of Dickey Betts Show Coming to Macon, GA
5 Starr: Ringo Starr - Look Up
Sites and Sounds: Music Adds to Your Caribbean Fun in Sint Maarten - Saint Martin
Slipknot, Falling In Reverse, Five Finger Death Punch Lead Inkcarceration Lineup
Shinedown Plot Dance, Kid, Dance Tour
Joe Satriani and Steve Vai Reveal All-Star SATCHVAI Band Lineup
David Ellefson and Bruce Kulick Guest On Marina V's New Single
Phil X & The Drills Stream 'Moving To California'
Khanate Announce First U.S. Tour Dates Since 2005
Peter Frampton Launching Let's Do It Again Tour
Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty To Give SXSW Keynote
