Killjoy Confetti

Item: The Fun Is
Author: Justin Wright

The Fun Is

(2006)

Reviewed by Justin Wright

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Label Wooden Man RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2005

indie rock post-punk

The biggest problem with chick bands is that most of them don't seem to know how to be a band without having to tell us that they're girls. Killjoy Confetti does fall into the category of chick band, but they don't fall into the rut of basing their music on that fact. Straight-ahead post-punk tinted rock with some seriously odd images make this a great listen that will satisfy anybody with a sick sense of humor.

Musically, the sound is very intricate. They don't rely on a bunch of distortion to cover up weak playing. A strong guitar sound combined with tight bass, synth, and drum work makes for a really interesting listen.

Carie Conley's vocals are haunting. Kind of sounds like the B-52's with a solid dose of angst and energy. I really like the sound of her voice. While very intense, it still has a soft, feminine quality to it.

As I read the track list, I saw the title "Try Danielson," I thought, "I wonder if that's the same Danielson?" It sure was. A tribute song to the art rock band Danielson adds to the oddity of this CD. (BTW, "Try Danielson" is a good idea for anybody.) As I finished listening to this album, I thought of the classic Danielson song "Rubbernecker". You'll want to rubberneck at this macabre explosion of sound and imagery unlike the boring fare coming out of most of the girl bands playing on the radio today. Unfortunately, the cookie cutter tendencies of most program directors across the country virtually guarantees that unless you're lucky enough to have a good college/indie radio station in your town, you won't hear these ladies unless you're smart enough to pick this up yourself.

Just a note about the CD packaging. This is honestly an indie thing. While the materials that arrived were professional quality, they are "lovingly assembled and packaged by hand" according to the enclosed card. Instead of the mass produced sterility that you usually pick up from the store, this CD actually contained a piece of human hair! Now, this might sound disgusting, but I think it actually shows a little more about the individual care and attention that has been put into the music that this artist has really put their life into.

4 tocks