Gigolo Aunts: complete misfits?

these rock bands you keep bringing up have disgusting names (anal cunt?). it's turned me off to the genre forever. i've heard there's good rock, but honestly i don't think i want to be associated with a genre with stuff like that.

yeah blah blah blah i'm beating a dead horse. whatever.

You should look into A.C. I think you'd really dig it.

i'm not entirely against it.

Ethan, Gigolo Aunts is named for a Syd Barrett song and is more ludicrous than disgusting. It's not even as if the bad is as obscure as A.C.: they actually had a couple of mild hits. I actually spent one summer listening to the album Flippin' Out, which is a glorious hunk of fuzzed-out power pop earcandy. I still have good memories of driving down the Trans-Canada Highway with the album blasting, especially "Where I Find My Heaven" and "Bloom". It's not deep stuff, but as disposable music goes, it's pretty first-rate.

Sean, you would definitely like their betteralbums like "Learn to Play Guitar", "Everybody Happy", "Minor Chords & Major Themes". Most people seem to think of "Flippin' Out" as their grunge record and their low point so far. They made a lot of stuff, most of it's already out of print, so I figure they are complete misfits as far as popular knowledge goes. Nobody seems to care and I think it's because of that goofy name! Oh well...

I actually got a chance to see the cover of Learn to Play Guitar once upon a time when a co-worker got a free copy from a regular customer and I remember being really peeved at the time because I only got a chance to listen to it once before it disappeared into the bowels of his collection. It didn't strike me as particularly amazing on that one listen, but I know that one listen is rarely fair, particularly when the style shifts a bit (I seem to recall them easing off on the wall of fuzz and the reliance on echo).

Yeah, the wall of fuzz stuff really only appeared on that album, I think Atlantic records might have made them do that. They had 4 or 5 albums prior to that one that were not really distorted at all... or very echoey, either, actually.

...And now i must take back my comments. I listened to "Flippin' Out" last night probably for the 3rd or 4th time since I got it a couple years ago. It's not so majorly different than the majority of their other albums (most recent included) and not all chunky thick distortion like I erroneously remembered. The solos are a little louder, longer and more psychedelic, that's all. I remember the first time I heard it, I was disenchanted by the 2nd song, "Lemonpeeler", but last night I really liked the whole album. Even that song from Dumb & Dumber that I used to think was awful, "Where I find my heaven" is a really nice tune.

So, yeah, I guess they're wall of fuzz-ish. I always think of that to mean overly-loud or overblown, but I can see it now fitting them.

You know, I think the reason they don't have a huge following is because the songs are so well written and so well produced, they seem emotionless and kinda generic. But, when I'm in the mood for them, they feel very happy and alternately very sad buried in a sticky sweet wash of harmony and melody.

They have no luck, though. They're latest record label lost it's funding and the two new members left to tour with Juliana Hatfield, I guess, which leaves only 2 of the founding members (again). Poor guys have been on about 8 different labels now, none of which knows or cares how to market them.

Dammit, this thread made me go out and buy Flippin' Out again. At least it was fairly cheap. After your re-assessment, how does Minor Chords and Major Themes compare? I've seen that in the bins, too, but it's quite a bit more expensive.

Minor Chords is great in it's own way, a little more grown up/introspective, still making advances as far as song writing goes and the playing is perfection, as usual. If you like Flippin' Out, you'd definitely like it (minus "Super Wicked Ultra Mega Love", probably, which seems a little too power chordy for them, but retains the same lush production, harmony, etc... this one song reminds me of Red Kross circa Phaseshifter) One of the best songs they ever made is "Residue" from Minor Chords. Pretty much just makes you want to cry.

I saw a copy on Ebay the other day going very cheap! Or you can wait a little bit. A promo copy or something is sure to show up in your local cut out bin. I am pretty sure they will never have an album that stays in print for very long. They just don't have mass appeal.

I like Flippin' Out, it really is a good CD. It gets a bit samey. I really love the first track, the way the chorus goes musically.

Flippin’ Out is one of my all-time favorite CDs. I think it is brilliant and was disappointed the band seemed to mellow out for their follow-up. Dave Gibbs has an amazing voice and songs like ‘‘Cope’’ and ‘‘Lullaby’’ flat out rock. Flippin’ Out, along with The Cavedogs’ Joyrides For Shut-Ins and Buffalo Tom’s Let Me Come Over make a perfect Boston band trifecta.