Despite how it might seem at times, I didn't create this blog to showcase artists of questionable talent exalting them with some sort of musical relativism to the level of the more professional, perhaps slightly more "talented" acts. I do enjoy everything I post here, for one reason or another, and I do think that one man's trash is another man's treasure. When I was a kid the only music I could afford were records in the budget/clearance bin so I developed a, how to say, "taste" for this sort of fare. It wasn't that everything in those bins was slightly amateuristic, a lot, if not most, were there because "normal" people wouldn't buy them. What is normal? Unfortunately it usually means "people who like what someone else tells them it's OK to like". An album like "A Cassette Tape Culture (Phase 1)" would not stand a chance in all but the most hip records stores. Sure, an initial limited pressing sold out immediately, but I suspect that had more to do with Sasha Gray's association than anything else. That said, aTelecine is fascinating. It's an engaging listen that puts me in mind of the best sound collages. So that's the deal. If it's in the dime bin it's going to straddle the line between laughable and genius.
All of this to say that King Dude baffles me. He describes his music as "gothic folk". His facebook page says "He brandishes many varied influences in his songwriting. Everything from British Folk, Americana, Country and Blues can be heard in his songs. Even the heavier sounds of Heavy Metal tend to sneak and slither it's way into the King Dude canon. The resulting songs are much more of a modern day hymn then your average pop song." To which I say, MODERN DAY HYMN??? There is a strong religious element to much of his music, but I can't tell from where it's coming from. In one performance video he introduces as song as "Christian" while in another he can be seen throwing darts at a painting of Jesus. He has songs named "Lucifer's the Light of the World", "Satan's Ghost", and "Sorrow and It's Companions", so I can't figure it out. On the other hand his profile goes on to say "King Dude's music beg's the soul to lift itself up from the darkness of ignorance, towards the ever shining glorious "Light" that exists outside of all of us yet that which we are eternally connected to and at once connects everyone on Earth" and lists it's genre as "Luciferian", which is all fine and good, I guess, but that video where he says "This is a Christian song" confuses me. Unless he's just pullin' our leg.
At any rate I think his stuff is intriguing. Definitely worthy of investigation and even discussion amongst philosophical friends. His voice sometimes resembles a less tuneful Leonard Cohen and even Nick Cave at times. I don't think his singing is the paramount consideration, though. Those lyrics are what really get you. Bleak as they come. It's interesting fare.
By the way, King Dude is the pseudonym of TJ Cowgill. It would be TOO good if his real name was King Dude.
File Under: King Dude
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