From the liner notes to
13 Other Dimensions:
IMAGINE THE SOUND!!! THE LUSCIOUS SOUND OF SONGS!!! SONGS SUNG BY PUPPETS WAY BACK IN THE 1970'S!!! THIS IS THE ESSENTIAL MAGIC COMBINATION THAT YOU HOLD IN YOUR HAND. THIS IS THE GIRAFFES!!! IMAGINE A LITTLE GIRAFFE AND AN EARLESS RABBIT WITH THE ASTONISHING ABILITY TO IMPROVISE SONGS OUT OF THIN AIR INSTANTLY WITH ONLY SECONDS TO PREPARE!!! IMAGINE A FOURSOME OF HOTEL LOBBY JAZZ PUPPETS LED BY A FATHER AND SON TEAM OF WILD MONKEYS ON GUITAR AND HORNS BACKED UP BY A SHY BEAR ON THE 2-STRING BASITAR AND A SMALL DUCK ON WHEELS TICKLING THE IVORY KEYS LIKE SHE HAS A DARK SECRET!!! NOW IF YOU WILL IMAGINE THESE TWO MUSICAL PATHS COLLIDING AND CREATING A SOUND LIKE NONE YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE!!!
Well, actually, The Giraffes is
Chris Ballew, formerly of
The Presidents of the United States of America. The albums out currently are songs he recorded in his basement on a
four track. Imaginative, clever, beautiful...just
good stuff. Highlights on these two albums are
Hopeless (rub it in), a insanely catchy tune about how he wishes he was a better organ player,
When She's Drunk, and
Gone Again Gone, his tribute to
Mark Sandman of
Morphine. Plus, the first and last songs on
The Days Are Filled With Years are lovely.
I talked to
Mssr. Ballew after his show at
Bumbershoot last year (really -- he's a very nice guy, spent a lot of time just talking to the people there when he could have been doing a million other things). He was there with a backup band (I've forgotton their names, unfortunately), and said this new
iteration of the Giraffes would be touring and recording some new songs. Then again, he said it would be last fall...so who knows when that's going to come together. The sound still has that core of innocent fun, but it's a little fuller, a little more
rawk. Good stuff.
Albums:
13 Other Dimensions -
My Own Planet Recordings, 1997
The Days Are Filled With Years -
Orange Recordings, 2000