The self-titled debut album from The Lounge Lizards is a demented tongue-in-cheek take on jazz, played with a punk attitude. If you just read the word 'jazz', and have been scared off by the thought of 7 minute drum solos and clichéd love lyrics please don't go; this not your usual jazz band. What you will hear is sleazy swing, noise, some funk and a ballad called 'Ballad', all delivered in a chaotic and manic fashion. Most of the songs were composed by saxophonist John Lurie who hasn't been as active as he used to be due to illness, however, you might already know him from the television series Fishing with John or a few Jim Jarmusch films. Lurie also composed some of the music for the film Get Shorty.
One more thing worth mentioning is Arto Lindsay's approach to playing the guitar. Over the course of the album I think he plays about three 'normal' notes while the rest of the time is spent treating the guitar like a percussive instrument and making abrasive, twangy noises. Imagine somebody furiously trying to break amplified guitar strings with a fork and you'll get the idea.
The Lounge Lizards (on this album) are:
John Lurie: Saxophone
Evan Lurie: Keyboards
Steve Piccolo: Bass
Arto Lindsay: Guitar
Anton Fier: Drums
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