I met Audioporn's drummer, and I know his Dad - himself an accomplished musician. But when I was
given a copy of A Message From Our Sponsors, I have to confess to a seed of skepticism. You'd
have to wonder if the Dad's opinion might be based more on parental pride than on real musical
judgment.
So I spun it, and didn't take it out of the car's CD changer for 2 months.
This is a group of young Brits with a fiercely "indie" mindset - a sort of modern-day Roxy Music or
Van der Graaf Generator, crossed with Squonk opera and with a subtle infusion of Bowie, and a
Zappa-esque irreverence. Not so much in the style of the music as in the attitude, the
vibe. It's off-the-wall in parts, and spurns musical conventions in the way early Genesis did;
and a damn it, it's fun! Ex-actor and frontman Munden asserts that Audioporn's music aims to have
"...the balls of punk and the cleverness of Seventies stuff".
The singer will remind you of Peter Hammill on occasion, and while the band might not display an
abundance of "chops" that's made up for - in abundance - with good performances and inspired
songwriting. A Message From Our Sponsors is a short (thirty five minute) concept piece, each of
the twelve songs rolls into the next and the whole piece hangs together and like one long epic. Not
necessarily "prog" by most accepted definitions - but it is certainly "progressive" in the truest
sense of that word.
It isn't perfect, yet it gets 5 stars because it's refreshing, different, edgy, yet very melodic. This is what we should be looking for in today's music.
We understand that Audioporn does an excellent live show - complete with melodramatic showmanship,
spoken monologues, theatrics, and costumes borrowed from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Makes sense.
This kind of music cries out for a great stage show.
Track Listing:
A Message From Our Sponsors (Intro)
The Spy Theme
Had Enough?
Trapped Down Hounded
Rotten Tango
Picking Up The Right Sounds
Down Down Down
Autobahn
Johnny Popstar
All Night Train
Here's Your Window
Get Up Get Happy
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