Jim Cooper – DRAC I

BEFORE WE START TODAY’S BLOG, A COMMERCIAL:

In their continued epic struggle for supremacy, THE M’s and DETHOLZ! pit two giant custom-built robots against one another in a vicious mecha-duel that promises rampant carnage, death and destruction!  Watch from the sidelines, or feel free to participate in the slaughter yourself!

THIS FRIDAY, NOV. 21
THE M’s vs. DETHOLZ! REPUBLICAN ROBOT CHALLENGE
Hideout
www.hideoutchicago.com

In one corner, DETHOLZ! mount up their custom-built, constitution-eating steely chasse known as DIKK CHAINEY, who spews motor oil from his 10-ton cannons and eats Colin Powells for breakfast!

In the opposite corner, THE M’s power up the gigo-normous & steely moose slayer, SARE A’PAILIN’!  Watch her eviscerate and devour the English language as her gaping metal jaws work the system like a mega Johnny Cochran!

Watching two giant Republican robots battle to the death was never this exciting!

Hope to see you!

Also: buy a copy of the new Jukebox of the Dead cover album at www.detholz.com/merch.html !

XXOO
VORTECS Corp. Federalist Society Dept.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program…

Welcome back to the Detholz! Mp3 Blog, and mucho apologio for the missed week last week.

There is a reason for my tardiness. Allow me to explain:

Lujo Records, the doughty DC label that releases Baby Teeth’s records (new album “Hustle Beach” coming this Spring, incidentally!), has decided to release 3 solo albums from the 3 Baby Teeth members, Abraham Levitan, Peter Andreadis and myself, in advance of the release of “Hustle Beach.”

Since I have been writing for Detholz! for so long, I don’t really have much in the way of Jim Cooper solo repertoire. So I was stumped for a few days. Do I write an album of tear-jerking, convulsion-inspiring, vomit-inducing “serious” songs that really plumb the depths of my incredibly complex and interesting emotional construct? That seemed narcissistic and, frankly, my emotional construct isn’t that complicated. (Example: after an extremely irritating evening last night, my wife made me a plate of spicy sausage. Problem solved!)

Another idea: write an album of montage-inspired music, much in the vein of FLEX (see previous Oct. 08 posts). I was ready to jump that train but then rethought it: after the third song or so, the joke would get old. Besides, who wants to listen to a novelty record any more? I might as well record myself reading Yakov Smirnov jokes.

So, for better or worse, I decided to challenge myself and write in a format which I have virulently detested my entire life: I decided to write a MUSICAL. (Cue thunder and lightning)

Musicals have traditionally chapped my ass something awful. I have a big problem suspending disbelief when people suddenly and inexplicably burst into song. Additionally, the sort of humor typically found in musicals is what Dick Cavett might call “bridled hilarity.” In other words, it’s poncy as hell.

My wife has slowly been changing my mind as to the viability of the Musical format, starting me off gently with Sweeney Todd, which, all things considered, is really pretty great. The songs are complex and layered, plus there’s a sufficient amount of good gore and violence to hold my Neanderthal male interest. I am also slowly coming around to “Jesus Christ Superstar,” though I’m not all the way there yet. The first South Park film stands on its own merit as a great piece of musical satire.

I feel like I’m slowly lowering myself into the Hot Tub of Musicals, testing every inch of the water as I descend. As Eddie Murphy once said: “It’s HOT in the Hot Tub! It’ll make you sweat-a!”

I’m not going to divulge what this musical is about yet, but suffice it to say it’s loosely based on the classic Dracula story and most of the action unfolds in a trailer park in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania. To get things started, I began with an instrumental piece:

DRAC I

The scene: a dishonest, sleazy country lawyer is driving higher and higher into the mountains on the proverbial dark and stormy night.

More to come…

See you next Wednesday!

Tags: dracula, free mp3 download, jim cooper, musicals