One of my high school favorites, Dallas's Tripping Daisy, are set to hit Austin in May, performing 1995's "I Am an Elastic Firecracker" in full. I think i may have to attend. I've seen The Polyphonic Spree a ton of times, but i never caught the core when they were Daisy back in the day. Check out "Motivation" below, our Daily Jam.
Every morning, i wake up and doom scroll for a few minutes online to a veritable mountain of bad news and endless horrible shit. Why do i do this to my mental health you ask? I have no idea. But it's taking its toll, and somedays, only listening to something full of love, hope, and joy, like The Polyphonic Spree, can shake me from doom scrolling's accompanying doom spiral, if only for a few moments. Today is that day. Listen to "The Championship" below, our Daily Jam.
This column was originally posted in 2016 a few days after David Bowie died.
I’ve been listening to everything through a David Bowie filter this last week, which in so many ways could be unfair to the music I’m hearing, as Bowie is such an unrealistic iconic figure to try and live up to. But at the same time, his cultural influence is so prevalent in everything from music to visuals to fashion and art, that maybe in some ways, that filter was there all along. Orchestral chamber psych-choral-pop band/cult The Polyphonic Spree are hardly the first group of minstrels and troubadours I think of when scouring the audio world for Bowie affection and affectations, but listening now, it’s there indeed. It could be the sense of whimsy and star-eyed psychedelia the band trades in that can certainly be linked back to Bowie’s pre-Ziggy days. Or it could be the simple act of following your own muse, harnessing aspects of old or forgotten sounds and making them your own, or crafting something brand new in the process. Or it could be the fact that I saw Bowie and The Polyphonic Spree perform “Slip Away” together in 2004, and it was utterly transcendent. It’s all of these things.
At that same show, during the Spree’s opening set, the band unveiled a slew of new tunes from their then upcoming album Together We’re Heavy, finishing up (I believe) with the 10-minute epic “When the Fool Becomes a King.” I had been following the band since seeing them a few years prior as an opening act (their second ever show, risen from the ashes of 90’s Texas alt-rock staple Tripping Daisy) for Grandaddy, and was probably one of the few people in the large crowd who was genuinely excited to see them too. Their set was poppy and energetic and fun, a perfect aperitif to get us all ready for the main event, though as they approached their booming finale, they seemed at the ready to even eclipse it.
“When the Fool Becomes a King” feels like a grand summation for an artist’s lifetime of work, though it comes from sophomore effort. The crashing crescendos, orchestration, and choral flair lend themselves so perfectly to front man Tim DeLaughter’s gleeful vocals that the end result is intoxicating. It feels like life, like youthful exuberance and elder foreknowledge at the same time, all of the ups and downs and the good with the bad, but still smiling, a kind of melancholy positivity. It’s sonic affirmation at its finest, and it’s beautiful. And in some ways, none of this would have ever existed without David Bowie.
Under the aura of Bowie, so many artists have, and more artists will emerge from his wake in the creative ether, and that’s a fantastic thing to be able to hold on to and look forward to.
Everyone's favorite psychedelic choral pop group from Texas, The Polyphonic Spree, is back in November with new album "Salvage Enterprise." Check out new track "Galloping Seas (Section 44)" below, download the tune here, and pre-order the LP here from Good Records.
The Polyphonic Spree remain one of the best live experiences i can think of for a touring band. I've lost count of how many times i've seen them over the years (though it's been a spell since my last), and it's always a joyous occasion. Listen to the choral pop alt-rock of "The Fragile Army" below, our Daily Jam.
The Polyphonic Spree are back! This time in cover album form. On "Afflatus," the band of merrymakers covers everyone from INXS to The Bee Gees, as well as one of my favorite weird pop tunes, "Porpoise Song" by The Monkees. Check it out below, snag a download of the album here, or pre-order the glow-in-the-dark vinyl here from Good Records.
Back in college, i was fortunate enough to catch one of the very first Polyphonic Spree performances when they opened up for Grandaddy in Austin. I've been a devoted, not quite robe-wearing fan ever since. Here they are in remix form. Check out the Death in Vegas mix of "Soldier Girl" below, our Daily Jam.
Closing out our "Covers Week" with one of my favorite bands covering one of my favorite songs by one of my all time favorite bands. We even closed out my wedding reception with it. So, here's Nirvana's "Lithium" as performed by The Polyphonic Spree, our Daily Jam.
Much like The Flaming Lips, there is some kind of ever present, underlying joy in everything that The Polyphonic Spree does. It's in their hearts and souls, and will forever be inescapable. And that pretty much makes the chorale pop band a perfect fit for Christmas music. Listen to their take on "Do You Hear What I Hear?" from their 2012 album "Holiday Dream" below.
I love The Polyphonic Spree, and yet somehow i missed that they released a Christmas album in 2012 called "Holiday Dream." And on said album, they covered one of my favorite Christmas songs, John Lennon's and Yoko Ono's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)." If you know the Spree, you know this is a all a natural fit, as no one exudes joy like they do. Listen below.
And all good things must come to an end...which is good because i was out of money and my body was starting to reject the steady diet of Shiner beer and junk food. Highlights of the day include reaffirmation that The Polyphonic Spree will always put me in a good mood, listening to the Mortal Kombat theme song whilst watching tacos being blasted out of a cannon, seeing the kids from Unlocking the Truth with their mom eating Twinkies, The Men, and Gojira.
The lowlight of the day was the sound issues that prevented Killer Mike from being able to perform, though he tried his damndest.
Until next year then. Take a gander at some snapshots below.
Ever since i was fortunate enough to catch The Polyphonic Spree on tour way back in 2001 (their second ever show), i have been a gleeful and fervent member of their pop cult. Tim Delaughter and company have a new album, "Yes, It's True," out next month on Good Records, the band's first record of original material since 2007. The Incubator is stoked! Listen to "Hold Yourself Up" below...and smile for the rest of the day.
