Pilesar - Ballad of the Possum Eatin' Monster

Hear The Track Here

Soundclick's very own weirdo, musical idiot savant and all points south, Pilesar has kept me amused and entertained for as long as he has baffled and confused me; not an easy feat let me tell you. Last month it was Snort Thruster (Live) (March 2009), a playful, percussive LIVE experience that more than nods in the direction of Bobby McFerrin (although with the obvious Pilesar twist). Whatever you might think about Pilesar's oevre (Ed: it definitely doesn't mean droppings, oh no...), he is a genuine master of surprise. Actually for all his musical lunacy, I find Pilesar to be one of the most innovative, refreshing and stylistic of musicians it has ever been my pleasure to meet. There again, I'm more than half mad too...so that doesn't say much.

From the CD Island of Crooked Houses, Ballad Of The Possum Eatin' Monster delves way back into the past to come up with an arguably effective country blues (the country being Louisiana or at least the Deep South). The P word himself steps up to the mic for this, so take a bow Pilesar who - it is now revealed - is in fact a bullfrog. Every single time this track played it reminded me of some artist buried deep in my memory but even now I can't put my finger on it. Certainly its American, and probably from the 1970's so if anyone comes up with it, it might help me to sleep better at nights.

Now obviously anything that Pilesar sets his hand to is going to end up - how can I put this tactfully? - somewhat warped. So although Ballad Of The Possum Eatin' Monster is a very authentic sounding piece, there's still that Pilesar aural fuckry that keeps things slightly off kilter. Pilesar is joined in this track by Logan Rainard on bass and Nikc Miller on guitar and backing vocals and its obvious that they had a lot of fun putting this bad boy down. That sense of irreverence is what - for me - sets this song apart. Certainly its one of the most accessible of Pilesar tracks EVER. After all, who could resist a chorus that goes 'He smell like sh*** and he rot like a log, He live like a troll and he die like a dog' See, now that's class....

MUST HAVE blues with a sense of the strange as only Pilesar can do it.