QUINTRON - THE FROG TAPE

When you receive hundreds upon hundreds of CDs a year to review, it\'s easy for things to get lost in the mix. There have been many a CD-- hell, many a review that I\'ve written-- that are now and always will be lost in the hairy abyss that is my brain. Of course, if I really love or hate something, I\'ll remember it. But most of what I hear literally goes in one ear and out the other.

The Frog Tape (Skin Graft Records) from the New Orleans-based one man band known as Quintron is not one of those CDs.

Now, that\'s not to imply right off the bat that this is an amazing CD. However, it is to say that it is absolutely, without a doubt, the most bizarre CD I\'ve ever gotten for review.

The Frog Tape is nine... songs, I guess, that are perfect for-- according to the back of the CD-- \"...parties, haunted houses, or trick or treaters.\" It also says on the cover that you should play it on Halloween. Already, this CD has won huge points with me, as October/Halloween/Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year.

But what is The Frog Tape? Well, the press release says it is Quintron on organ, Miss Pussycat on screams, and the Boys Club Swamp Frogs on vocals. I know, I know. \"What the fuck does that mean?\" Exactly.

Let me break it down for you as best I know how. Basically, this disc is a poor-quality recording of some of the most bizarre and creepy sounds I\'ve ever heard. And the poor quality is actually a good thing in this case, in that it adds exponentially to the mood.

\"The Throat\" is a minute of guttural noises, followed by an evil \"mwa-ha-ha\" laugh. Yes, that\'s it. \"Mood\" is a Hammond electric organ piece that you would swear was being played by Lurch himself. (Yes, I know, dorks, he played a harpsichord.) \"Backwards\" is a tune where Quintron proves to us that he can play the organ in a way that makes it sound like he\'s playing it backwards. And he\'s right. He can. \"Scary Office\" is a peculiar lounge dirge. They also cover Johnny Mathis\' \"No Love\", and end the disc with 15 minutes of frogs creaking and croaking.

If you still don\'t get it, imagine if you took the Halloween album you had as a kid, layered it over a sound effects CD, and listened to it all through a tin can. Kind of like that.

In short, this disc is everything it said it was. And I\'ve kind of come to love it. So, check out The Frog Tape, and be sure to get your copy before Halloween so you can enjoy it when it is most appropriate.