Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Sick squelchy synths begin Stinky Munchkins' 'Release the Lions' and pave the way for an amazing track that's right out there with its random noises and screechy vocals providing a refreshing change from the norm. A deceptive calm before the storm of the chorus which brings us a devilish 'Tonight, release the lions' as the lyrics set the band apart from the rest by issuing said instructions as a girl has just taken her clothes off and run down the street. Stinky Munchkins are no one trick pony though, as the delightful and swift change to stripped down synthesised vocals and a defiant 'But I know that I'll be leaving tonight' prove.
- www.leedsmusicscene.net
Stinky Munchkins – what a name! Obviously a band shouldn’t be judged on this alone. The arctic monkeys managed to overcome the same disadvantage to sell zillions of albums and grab a few Brits along the way. A bad name isn’t the end of the world and that’s a relief because their song ‘Release the Lions’ is ace. This band breathes street cred into a genre that’s in desperate need of some. If you want new music to get into and show off to your mates, this is definitely the band. Electro doesn’t come much cooler than Stinky Munchkins. - www.theacrylictomtom.co.uk
Last but not least and by the finest hairs breadth our particular favourite of the four showcases comes courtesy of the excellently named Stinky Munchkins. Apparently this lot have been around for years initially borne out of a dare between Dino (V-Twin) and Daryl (the Vug) that entailed trying to out do each other by bastardising records found in charity shops until one day it was decided to throw open the doors of their private joke and entertain the public whether they liked it or not. Enlisting various members of V -Twin and Ymmy Fur into the scheme they’ve now taken to the road as a fully fledged band - usage of make up, dressing up, ‘enforced’ audience participation (as it says in the script really is something I feel I need to witness - obviously while standing in some shadowy unseen recess of a venue - ha ha) and most disturbingly of all the wearing of paper mache heads which to those of a certain age may well trigger off those Frank Sidebottom nightmares). As to the music here accounted for by ‘Restart’ and ‘Starting a fight in an empty room’ - think of the Stones ’Miss You’, ’Emotional Rescue’ and pretty much all of ’Some Girls’ for that matter thrown into an amorphic blender with copious amounts of mind bending hallucinogens and strobe lights and a Class A infectious buzz that sounds like it’s been bitten by a virulent strain of a originated in New York funky bug emerging out of the carnage dizzied and disorientated muttering in jive talking tongues while decked out in street cool threads and rich with an attitude that alone could start a fashion movement. Particular attention should be made of ’Starting a fight in an empty room’ which is so ruddy horny it might be wise to consider having a bucket of ice cold water to hand just in case the hi-fi gets any funny ideas. Crooked arty farty party music for mad, bad, trad people. Essential stuff. - www.losingtoday.com
Discography
Release the Lions - to be released soon on Art Goes Pop
Release the Lions - Vic Galloway BBC Radio1
Restart - XFM Scotland
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Dino and Daryl started making music together in 2001. At the time Dino was lost up-river recording V-Twin’s first album and Daryl was approaching meltdown with dark electro warriors The Vugs. Both badly needed to find a little space that was their own.
They initially amused themselves by buying rubbish records from charity shops and challenging each other to turn them into something good using only their samplers and the sounds contained within the grooves.
Chas n’ Dave/Tottenham Hotspur 7"s metamorphosed into pulsating punk house epics, David Cassidy flexi discs were deconstructed and 1950s easy listening British folk songs were tortured into otherworldly oompah funk.
At some point they realised that this didn’t afford them enough chances to show off and decided that they had to form a proper band. Thus the Munchkins were born.
The scavenger instincts and lack of respect for stylistic boundaries remain from the early charity shop record days, but now this is combined with experiments in make-up and the dressing up box, paper mache carnival heads and enforced audience participation.
Dino and Daryl have been joined by Matt Gallus, another V-Twin refugee, on bass and Charlie Milne, ex of The Yummy Fur and The Karelia among others on guitar and after more drummers than they care to remember they finally hooked up with old friend Bix Cosmo.
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