Evil Eddie

I’ve jerked off over Evil Eddie before, just like the rest of lower to middle class Australia has at some point in the past decade. I contributed to the PledgeMusic campaign too. Not that this makes me a hero, although I totally was the first donation, and I totally dropped a hund-ski on that bad boy because I knew I’d inevitably need to brag about it in a blog. Regardless, I obviously haven’t had much to write about lately so we’ll call it an investment that has rewarded with some plentiful dividends because this album is exceptionally fun to talk about.

After a short, smooth jazz introduction we’re thrown straight into a crooning, anthemic ballad. Starting as what feels like a jovial homage to Frenzal’s I Miss My Lung Hungover Again quickly kicks it up a notch and we’re treated to extended orchestral bridges, soul-infused backing vocals and one final haunting chord that cuts the song dead. It tells a pretty well worn story of piecing together the night before, and going into damage control.

What You Give Is What You Get aims it’s skeptical, atrophied finger directly at the music industry in fine form, spitting hot fire (that’s a thing right?) Eddie demolishes the embittered musicians that expect the mountain to come to Muhummad in their quest for stardom and don’t actually put in the work themselves. Followed quickly by everyone’s favorite viral hit of 2010, Queensland is as impressively biting as ever becoming even more retroactively impressive by our fair state’s recent election of Bjelke-Petersen circle-jerker Cuntbell Newman (you’d think that could get old).

Track 5 kind of sounds like a Linkin Park track. I don’t know that I dislike it, but the title line “Voices in my head (keep caaaalling me)” does tend to grind on my last nerve by the end, and the heavy rock riff is a bit cheesey, but the MCing is still top notch throughout.

The past month or so of my life has been pretty much me going to work, watching movies, and dancing around in my underwear to The Golden Age. The last single to be launched before the album itself, as the name would indicate is a throwback to the Golden Age of hip hop music, sampling the likes of Ol’ Dirty Bastard (plus a keyboard section of the beat throughout the whole song being a cheeky nod to Shimmy Shimmy Ya), and the Beastie Boys articulating perfectly his view as to why he considers modern hip hop so lackluster. The bridge in particular is testicle shrinking in it’s intimidatingly heartwarming.

Self deprecation is an endearing quality in any conversation, it puts people at ease. Bad Son is Eddie’s jab at himself for being a mediocre friend and tax dependant at times. Followed swiftly by a purely instrumental and synth number coming out of nowhere to leave me wondering what the fuck I just listened to. It was a bold move to put something this diverse on a solo hip hop record, and while the upper range squeaks and whines of can be a bit annoying interlocked with ugly tempo changes Fucking frenzy is still a fun little change of pace.

(Say Something) Evil sacrifices the technicality of the prior tracks to achieve exactly what it sounds like when somebody writes their own theme song. In all seriousness it would be a crowd pleaser at the end of the night full of crowd participation and sloppy hugs. Jumping on the defence next Doin’ What I Gotta Do takes aim at his critics that claim he has sold out. It is scathing yet humble, and it has a bitchin’ Santana-esque guitar solo at the end.

Right on queue we have a wistful, ballad of heartbreak and self destruction channeling some creepy ex boyfriend vibes we’ve all been on one side of at one point or another. Facebook stalking, drinking and the art of melancholic despair. As the title says, ain’t love grand. Second to last we have paranoid, which feels very much like an “inspired by true events” sort of story of his elderly neighbor freaking him the fuck out on the regular. Lastly, The Bomb brings it home with a final experimental instrumental tracks. It has early hints of dub before sliding in ambience, mixed in with fun samples, it has a real Prodigy feel to it at it’s better moments.

Solo hip hop albums, I find, tend to be exhausting. You’re being yelled at for 30 odd minutes by one person on every subject they can think of, and it can blur together. That said, Eddie has kept it diverse enough to not tire of, every track delivering something a little different. My only hope is that this marks the return of regular live shows to accompany this thoroughly enjoyable outing of Aussie hip hop. - Here Is Your Mind

It occurs to me that Evil Eddie should've been done years ago. Gimmicky, sleazy, like an indelible stain / funny smell / carpetty aftertaste lingering too long after the rest of Butterfingers have been tipped unceremoniously into a mass-grave. Something about the guy, though, he just won't go away and, really, for all his shortcomings (which he takes every opportunity to celebrate), he has a thing which a lot of people want to listen to.
You hear about a lot of artists who 'tell it like it is', but do they? I don't know, even if they do, their gritty reality usually has very little to do with where I'm from. I'd like to say that I find it difficult to relate to Eddie's brand of bogan-stoner cockiness, but at my lowest moments, I may have seen the bleary reflection of his stubbly mug in the bathroom mirror staring back at me. Even if – thankfully – it isn't something I can personally relate to very much of the time, Eddie's Sunshine State antics do describe a lot of things that I know. More importantly he can capture these situations with the keen eye of the street-hustler for human weakness and has the merciless wit to take the piss out of it.
His machine-gun style doesn't really have an analogue in Australian hip hop. Like Funkoars on (substantially more) crack? That's about as close as I can get. He uses that natural talent to write cheesy, hand-waving anthems and more often than not it makes them work. It's not the only talent he possesses, either. From what I can gather, his debut full-length, Welcome To Flavour Country is largely self-produced (and I think he screwed up the release-date doing last-minute tinkering). I'll be honest: it was totally worth it. A lot of the beats here, both the barnstormers we've known for years ((Somebody Say) Evil) and heretofore unknown smashers like the storming groove for the funkstramental The Bomb, closing the album, they're just boss.
Serious achievements like this help to bring Flavour Country lunging drunkenly back from hopelessly shallow and self-indulgent raps like Hungover which would otherwise make you question what you ever heard in Evil Eddie. He's a homegrown iconoclast and I don't know what anyone beyond the borders of Logan City will make of this, but for all the grinding lows that Eddie revels in, there are moments where Flavour Country is an undeniably good place to be.

- Chris Cobcroft. - 4ZZZ

In the blossoming landscape that is the Australian hip hop scene, Evil Eddie’s solo album debut, Welcome To Flavour Country, offers a slightly different taste than what we’re used to. Thankfully, Eddie hasn’t grown up much since his Butterfingers days, so many of the same moorish cheeky lyrics remain. This is prevalent when songs like Hungover Again and the Triple J favourite Queensland allude to Eddie’s perpetual adolescence, particularly with lyrics like 'show your back to us/shake that bootius maximus'. Beneath the dark humour, there is a distinct acidity to Flavour Country. This can be heard on Voices In My Head, where Eddie raps about mortality, suicide and mental illness, showing both a sense of maturity and severity not really showcased on old Butterfingers tunes like Ya Mama. Instrumental track Fucking Frenzy also showcases Eddie’s aptitude as a producer as well as MC, with all songs throughout the album having a tight and clear sound. The heart and soul of Flavour Country appears in Doin’ What I Got To Do, which every struggling musician will be able to relate to. The end product is sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, but always flavoursome. - Rip It Up

Ex-Butterfingers front man Eddie is back making music and flipping the bird to just about anyone he feels needs a reality check. On his debut solo record Welcome To Flavour Country, the Brisbane native doesn't take a step back in coming forward, laying the boot into the Hip Hop scene in "Golden Age", people who have doubted him in "Doin' What I've Got To Do" and society in general in "What You Give Is What You Get".

But there is element of regret in the track "Bad Son" where he attempts to apologise to his parents for all the grief, and to all the friends and lovers he has disappointed over the years. Is it a sign of maturity? Quite possibly, but then again in "Hungover Again" he raps about stumbling home after a night out with a broken phone, a lost wallet, the need to piss and knowing that his girlfriend will be mad when he gets home. So it seems while he is mature enough to know he's done wrong, he is still going to keep fucking up.

Musically this album is more hip hop and rap focused then Butterfingers mix of punk and hip hop. But that doesn't mean there isn't some heavy riffs on the record, with "Voices In My Head" being an example. There's a funky riff backing 'Evil' and DJ mash up on "****ing Frenzy". At times his lyrics are a little lazy and absurd like in the chorus of the first single "Queensland" ('everybody turn your back to us/and shake your gluteus maximus') but on a whole the record is a solid effort. It borders on Australia's version of Eminem with the Evil Eddie persona at times, but there is enough quality to ensure repeat plays on the iPod.

Review Score: 7.1 out of 10 - The AU Review

Melbourne punk-rock band 28 Days are back, and it feels — and sounds — good.

Jay Dunne (vocals), Simon Hepburn (guitar), Damian Gardiner (bass), Jason “Jedi” Howard (turntables), and Dan Kerby (drums) ripped it up at one of Brisbane’s favourite live music venues, the Hi-Fi in West End, as part of their “Upstyledown” Australian Tour.

The support act before 28 Days was Brisbane-based Evil Eddie, who’d already been onstage with openers Spitfireliar, now promoting his debut solo album Welcome to Flavour Country. He was humble, although completely engaging and switched on, with some onstage band antics adding a playful edge to the show.

Evil Eddie’s performance of “Bad Son” was perhaps the strongest of his set; a good choice for the beginning of his timeslot that had audience members singing along.

“What You Give Is What You Get”, a self-confessed vent about the current state of hip hop in Australia, was a solid example of the hometown hero’s expansion into other musical genres featuring reggae elements and floor-shaking bass.

Rounding out the show were “(Somebody Say) Evil”, a burst of fresh energy, and the infamous “Queensland”, the chorus of which everyone sang along to (“Show your back to us / Shake that gluteus maximus / Hey”).

Just a little past 11 o’clock, 28 Days’ DJ Jedi got the sea of baseball caps, baggy shorts, and Vans shoes jumping around — literally — with a short remix of the almost-daggy but ever-popular “Jump Around” by House of Pain. It was a clever way to start the show, hyping the crowd for a formidable performance by the band.

The foursome had promised to play every track on their platinum album Upstyledown, and so they did. Popular tracks “Rip It Up” and “Sucker” raised the roof (of course), but lesser-known tracks also elicited an exuberant response from an audience clearly composed of true fans.

Even the shorter “filler” tracks from Upstyledown were in the show. “28 Days Can F*** Off” and “Don’t Touch My Turntables” barely make one minute of the overall album, yet still featured in the set.

In the former track, the call and response of “28 Days can?” and “F*** off!” was very effective in getting the audience involved. In the latter track, Dunne had a go on Jedi’s turntables, at which point Jedi warned, “Don’t touch my turntables”. This was performed line for line, down to Dunne’s excitable “Yeah!” responses. Admittedly a little on the cheesy side, but a bit of nostalgia can do wonders.

The high-energy tracks “I Remember” and “Spicy Fingers” were perfect examples of what make 28 Days a memorable punk rock band, while the sweeter, more melancholic “Song for Jasmine”, displayed a softer side that the punters still enjoyed, years after the debut of the album.

Spitfireliar, Evil Eddie, and 28 Days make a good touring trinity, with each group praising and promoting the others. That said, in the spirit of good-natured tomfoolery (or maybe just the result of a few too many drinks), the boys frequently had difficulty remembering the name of second support act the E3s.

All in all, it was an energetic night of solid live performances and it’s good to see 28 Days back. Here’s hoping that the band can dedicate their enthusiasm and talent to a new record and many more shows in future. - Tone Deaf

After years of concocting his unique funky rap style in the ‘burbs of Brisbane, the mic welding bandit known as Evil Eddie has unleashed his wit on the Australian hip hop community, announcing his arrival as a serious solo performer.

Kicking off the release, ‘Hungover Again’ features some of the regrettable recollections of a heavy alcohol infused outing, which sees the vocalist sort his way through a series of unfortunate events.

Triple J fan favourite ‘Queensland’ introduces some of Evil Eddie’s early musical influences, varying from heavy rock riffs to funky upbeat bass lines.

Nothing is spared in this quirky tune, as Eddie namedrops his way from native Queensland fauna to members of the police force.

‘Golden Age’ once again reaches into the eccentric lyricist’s instrumental rock and funk influences. Featuring a touch of vintage vocoding, the track is element heavy, with several sound sources fighting for the limelight: turntable scratches, samples, peculiar percussion.

Placed cleverly at the record’s halfway point, instrumental jam ‘Fucking Frenzy’ opens up an eletro-funk portal, intertwining Eddie’s fascination for the unusual, and showcases the versatile instrumental talents of the defiant genre bending emcee.

From the smoothly performed bass to the free flowing guitar skanking, single ‘(Somebody Say) Evil’ gives listeners a slice of Eddie’s best effort at a self-biography, venturing from rhymes about previous stomping grounds, to verses warding off any Evil Eddie haters.

The album is a fine representation of new and old hip hop elements working harmoniously to create a charming mixture. - Tone Deaf

Clean, hip vocals mixed with some punchy alternative rock are what Evil Eddie is all about; and Saturday night the Northcote Social Club was where he and his merry band of misfits unleashed their version of hip-hop.

Addressing the slightly undersized crowd, Eddie launched into friendly pre-show banter before opening with a darker track from the new Welcome To Flavor Country album, “Ain’t Love Grand”.

The projector screen behind the band lit up with alternating visuals of home video, 80s cult classics, and Eddie’s own music clips. This complimented the muted and complexly vocal track suitably well.

After “Ain’t Love Grand”, Eddie assured the crowd that “we’ll have fun later,” right before storming into the catchy and slightly more upbeat “Bad Son”, that all the males in the crowd could relate to on one level or another.

The accompaniment of Eddie’s drummer and bassist, Joseph, worked exceptionally well throughout the show. The on-stage banter between the two allowed the crowd to feel like part of the show (“hands up who thinks Eddie looks like David Hicks?”).

As Joseph bounced senselessly around the stage in a beat-fueled frenzy, there was an overwhelming sense that these guys love what they do.

“De-Sex Your Ex”, roared to life with Weezer-like riffs that were light, bouncy and playful. A little more alternative rock than hip-hop, the song showcased Eddie’s previous experience as frontman of the partially successful band Butterfingers.

By this stage the crowd had developed into a larger assembly and with the encouragement of the emcee, everyone moved closer to the stage in time for “What You Give Is What You Get”. Vocally accompanied by his fellow bassist/drummer, Eddie carried the boppy beats in his stride, fully utilizing the acoustics that the venue had to offer.

Crowd pleaser and all-round upbeat mover, “(Everybody Say) Evil”, saw Eddie leap off stage and into the now feverish audience, all joining in to shout “EVIL!” into the microphone as the performer circled the room picking people at random to sing the chorus.

The set took on a darker agenda when the medium paced but ominous “Voices In My Head” filled the air accompanied by some kitsch 80s horror film footage that flickered on the projector backdrop.

This was followed closely by the curiously named “Paranoid”; a story-like, mild tempo track that exhibited the exceptional time keeping skills of the touring drummer and Eddie’s own vocal range.

There’s no doubt that he knew what the crowd was waiting for, and after taking a little too long searching for ‘Steve – O’ to wish him a happy birthday, Eddie and the band closed with the notorious fan favorite “Queensland”.

As the set drew to a close, punters ambled out the exits or towards the merchandise stall for a chance to meet’n’greet the headliners over one last pint.

The lack of an encore was disappointing, albeit unnecessary considering the amount of material that was crammed into one hour.

Evil Eddie has confidently matured as a musician, using the show as an opportunity to demonstrate a diversity of talents suitable for Australian hip-hop die-hards and those who want to see an experienced stage man in action. - Tone Deaf

After much antipicatipn and a stack of EPs, former Butterfingers’ front man Evil Eddie has put out his debut solo album. This album sees Evil Eddie grow even further as a musician producing something even stronger than his previous work with Butterfingers. The music is packed with power with sounds ranging from soulful ballads to full on rock anthems all held together with . The lyrics are brilliantly crafted with great narrative and sharp witted humor, all delivered with passionate flair!

Highlights include the gritty ballad Hungover again, the lyrics takes you along on the dreary and regrettable journey of the morning after while being cleverly humorous along the way. Golden Age is quite a savage attack on rap music today while being nostalgic about the rap music of old. The music does indeed have the same power and charm as the early rap music that he his tipping his hat to. Paranoid is comically eerie piece that takes you through Evil Eddie’s fears whether rational or otherwise, about everyone conspiring against him! In addition to the sharp hip hop tunes there are two intense and rocking instrumentals Fucking frenzy and the closing track The album also features Evil Eddie’s previous hits in the form of his (sort of) theme tune (Somebody Say) Evil and the patriotic anthem Queensland!

This is a great full length that sees Evil Eddie reach new levels of an artist. Each song is put together with a tight sound and great humour! If you liked his previous work then you can’t go past this release!

Rating: 4/5 - Tomatrax

Following the licensed streets, the once closed Amphitheatre is showing tonight and as the clock strikes 8pm, Evil Eddie is on schedule. Interaction with the 10 row deep bouncing spectators is initiated with the first instalment of ‘Somebody Say Evil’. “That was a little self-indulgent but thank you!” smiles the lead man and ex-Buttefingers vocalist/songwriter Eddie Jacobson. Taking a back seat yet pivotal to the performance, Jacobson enjoys the company of his fellow comrade Toddy Spitfire as the two slickly pinball lyrics from one song to the next.
Charging through ‘Aint Love Grand’ and the addictive ‘Voices In My Head’, the vision becomes clear as the studio sounds are brought to life via a strong family of well equipped and known Brisbane musicians.With the crowd multiplying by the second, the festivities continue and the only exit from this show is to refresh yourself with the energy that has been freely given to you.

Kenada Quinlan - LifeMusicMedia