The Beautiful Swindlers

So what are The Residents up to these days?

I admit I haven't really followed their career very keenly over the last several years, although I never turn down an opportunity to acquire anything from their repertoire that crosses my path. I bought their River Of Crimes CD when it came in used to work last year, and Randy gave me a burned copy of one of their concerts in exchange for some of the VHS stuff I have, like the fantastic The Mole Show (live in Holland 1983, and not included on Icky Flix), Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats, and The Eyes Scream: A History Of The Residents hosted by Penn Jillette. But I admit it's been awhile. As much as I've always liked the band, and at one point even adored them, they do tend to develop a sameyness to their sound in more recent years that makes you feel as if you've not only heard it all before, but can pretty much predict what each new project will sound like. And I hate admitting that, but it's often the trappings of such bands that have been around for as long as The Residents, and I am a firm believer that everyone, no matter how much of a genius they are, runs out of ideas sooner or later. And there is no shame in that whatsoever. How many times can you keep leaning on that synthesizer and growling in that same Les Claypoolian nasal tone -- and I know, it's not fair to compare. In fact years ago when Primus first came about I was convinced that Claypool was somehow affiliated with The Residents, with Claypool's similar lead vocals to that of The Residents, and his obvious love for the band, covering many of their songs, and I even remember Claypool wearing a Resident T-shirt in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. I asked a friend of mine, Kari, a girl I worked with at Music Man back in 1991 who was going to interview Les Claypool for a local music zine to ask him if he really was actually in The Residents. She later told me that he said "Nooo... but OH HOW I WISH I WAS!" Well that settled that, I reckon.

But I digress. It appears that The Bunny Boy is their latest project, as well as the name of the tour in which I'm going to see in New York in two weeks (heck, less than that, I think). Nineteen songs about... well, here's the first video episode and I'll let you decide. Nobody ever said The Residents didn't lack in the art of visual intrigue.

Another thing that's worthwhile, if you can find it. The Resident's Freakshow CD-ROM, which I imagine must be out of print these days, but is worth checking out and exploring if you ever run across it. A delightfully spooky interactive exploration of the behind-the scenes of a carnival freak show after dark -- although I still can't figure out how to get into the locked trailer full of moaning, creepy souls (or maybe I shouldn't!). Oh, and if you cut the carnival talker off the first time you see him when he invites you into the tent, he hesitates and then shouts "FUCK ZE KRAUTS!" at you and then walks away. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY HE SAYS THAT but it slays me every single time.