Zolo music - what the hell is Zolo?

I just happened across this strange tag on RYM, which contains several favorites of mine - Cardiacs, Gentle Giant, P-Model, even Moonriders. But what the hell is this genre? Some kind of New Wave/prog/buzzysynth hybrid? What albums fall under this definition?

This is how RYM describes it:

The term "zolo" was first coined by Terry Sharkie via his "Zany Zolo Muzik Hour" radio show to describe a cross-section of bands and artists with similar approaches to music. Zolo is characterized by hyper, jerky rhythms, synthesized bleeps and boings, polka-dot percussion, chipper falsettos, zany imagery, and a Zappa-esque sense of humor. While Zolo contains elements associated with Progressive Rock or New Wave, Zolo itself is a creative thread that runs independently of both of these genres.

Finding its beginnings in the 1970s with the quirky prog of Gentle Giant and comic art-pop of Sparks (produced by another Zolo godfather, Todd Rundgren), Zolo reached its apotheosis during the late 1970s and 1980s, with XTC's Go 2, Split Enz's Second Thoughts, and Godley & Creme's L often considered the best examples of the genre. Other albums high in Zolo content include Bill Nelson & Red Noise's Sound-On-Sound, Devo's Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Wazmo Nariz's Things Aren't Right, Snakefinger's Chewing Hides the Sound and Greener Postures, Debile Menthol's Émile au jardin patrologique, and numerous works by Albert Marcœur. Zolo was particularly popular in Japan, spawning bands like P-Model, ヒカシュー [Hikashu], Uchouten, Wha Ha Ha, 人生 [Zin-Säy!], and Picky Picnic.

So here we have a genre that unites Sparks, Gentle Giant, Rundgren, XTC, Devo, and Hikashu; this sounds excellent. Where can I find more music like this?

It's what comes after Yolo.

frogbs, I'm shocked you had never come across this before, considering your tastes!

http://chalkhills.org/articles/Zolo1997.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSqBw1JuiNY

^^^the first band I'm aware of who explicitly descrbied themselves as zolo

Here's a mix I found of random song snippets in the RYM Genre history pages for Zolo when people were debating whether or not to keep the genre tag:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdi3oYLmPBU

Basically the Weird Al "style parody" discography

This is incredible, would love a tracklist. I don't think any of it sounds like Weird Al, but lots of it is similar to say Uncle Meat. I only recognized the XTC bits, the Gentle Giant clip and maybe some Split Enz. I'll have to check out that other link later. I dig the sort of overlap between New Wave and prog (two of my favorite genres anyway) - I thought some of the early Devo stuff (think Hardcore Devo) really toed that line well.

christian rock zolo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdp-penfwFE

I Want To Be A Clone by Steve Taylor

(and the first video was Oblong Boys live on ACTV in 2001)

That article is also fascinating and comes with a gigantic list of bands to check out. I am amused by the fact that they mention "Lizard" as the best of the first four King Crimson albums; I think that makes it clear where these recs are coming from

some more stuff that probably fits that isn't mentioned in the article

http://www.youtu.be.com/watch?v=9ZNAyFUahx0

Punishment Of Luxury - Funk Me

whiney otm

sorry, that should be http://youtu.be/9ZNAyFUahx0

http://youtu.be/iqP0fmViugE

Hugh Cornwell & Robert Williams - Wired

I not sure that Weird Al quite fits here, I think it has to be more deadpan, maybe?

If you do some more searching around on RYM you'll find some convient Zolo lists, like <a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/mkrasna/zolo__volume_i__zolo_synthesis_by_terry_sharkie/";>these</a>.

http://youtu.be/KdmhD4MUsv0

Chi-Pig - Apu Api (Help Me)

If you do some more searching around on RYM you'll find some convient Zolo lists, like these.

Weird Al isn't really Zolo, but there's quite a bit of stuff that he choses to base his originals on that might fall under the category of zolo or at least quirky new wave like Devo, Sparks, B-52's, Frank Zappa, Tonio K, Oingo Boingo, Talking Heads, most of which being stuff that he was really into during his college radio days.

I realise there are already several gigantic lists of bands/tracks on this thread but

http://rogeraristotle.blogspot.co.uk/2007/08/since-its-been-asked-of-me-quite-few.html

I don't think the download links work anymore, but the tracklist is interesting

It definitely looks interesting, but I've already got a ton of stuff to look through thanks to this thread. I'm looking more for specific album recs. Awesome to see the early P-Model stuff get some recognition on these lists. I've always wondered how to classify a song like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSdAxVfsMj8&noredirect=1

Those lists of stuff that is/isn't Zolo are interesting but I dunno where to start. RYM's top 100 chart seems to be all over the place on this.

Probably best to avoid the RYM chart just because people can get really fussy about genre tags and a lot of stuff that has shown up on there after time just tends to be the stuff that isn't popular enough for people to decide it isn't Zolo.

frogs u should definitely check out Albert Marcoeur if u haven't yet

^^ will do - I've heard the name, seems like a good place to start

RYM charts are wacky for any fringe genre but Zolo's seems even more haphazard. Sparks' 1968 demo tape is the first listed release until a 1973 Gentle Giant single (strangely, neither of the first two Sparks albums count).

First Albert Marcouer album is hitting the spot right now. I'm gettin' a pretty hard Zappa vibe from a lot of this but it feels a lot less haphazard. Steve Taylor tune upthread also really nice, very Oingo Boingo

I liked these blog posts from a few years ago on 'quirk', which seems to be essentially the same thing as zolo

http://kidshirt.blogspot.co.uk/2007/09/they-came-from-stars-i-hated-them-and.html

http://kidshirt.blogspot.co.uk/2007/09/more-quirk.html

http://blissout.blogspot.co.uk/2007/09/few-weeks-back-kid-shirt-identified.html

http://kidshirt.blogspot.co.uk/2007/09/square-pegs.html

http://kidshirt.blogspot.co.uk/2007/09/german-quirk-1-klaus-nomi.html

Nice - I recently discovered Split Enz and from what I can tell their first album Mental Notes is this to a T. I do wonder about later recordings though (and Crowded House)

Kinda funny how a blogpost about Chrome Hoof spends half its time complaining about the Arcade Fire. Can't blame him!

"Saw my first Quirk Kid today. Skinny, androgenous little thing on Platform 6, Salisbury station. Fluffed-up ginger Princess Di hair-do circa '82, cum pompadour. Enormous black Buggles glasses and make-up all wrong: too much rouge on cheeks wh/made her look like Una Stubbs style Aunt Sally.

Tight-fitting honey-coloured charity-shop jacket w/ large beige check-pattern. Under this, (also honey-colured but different shade) some sort of quasi-medieval blouse vs shirt thing (not sure which) w/ *eeek* oversized ruffles on collar (which flopped out waaaay over jacket collar) and puffed-up sleeve-cuffs.

Microskinny drain-pipe trousers (mushroom coloured) and skuffed up Old School trainers. Post-Cool.

I would totally dress like this if I thought I could get away with it

is katy perry zolo? http://i.imgur.com/KdSXSiJ.jpg

Well one of the RYM lists I linked to posits that Vampire Weekend's Contra could possibly be Zolo.

I have a feeling that words dont do that outfit justice. I like the Katy Perry one but those sort of calculated fashion statements that you wear once to get people to think "wow, that's weird" and then never again don't really count. Still, tilted cube over the head is a nice touch.

Mid-'80s cult-classic college-radio novelty quirkpop idiotrock

Is "Dog Police" part of this? I only know it from post-YouTube Big Bear Doin Thangs-type hacky blogger lols. But it got legitimate MTV play, right?

― deej snider (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, November 1, 2010 10:57 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Had no idea about "Dog Police". the bonk-bonk-bonk-bonk bassline feels pretty Zoloish to me. I like this song.

I guess now I'm starting to see where Weird Al comes into this. If nothing else you can imagine him being a big fan of this type of music. "Dare to be Stupid" is definitely up there. As a bonus it's better than nearly any songs Devo themselves wrote from that point on.

By that token I would think Barnes & Barnes fit as well, though they're much less known outside of the novelty hit "Fish Heads". This, on the other hand:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srMcrvxmABQ&noredirect=1

I forgot 'Dog Police' existed.

Both this and the psych-prog thread seem to encompass some of my very favourite things in the world and also the worst possible crap ever made. I suppose I like excess and stupidity and weirdness but I'm very particular about in what way they're composed and presented.

Between this and the psych-prog thread you've got like 80% of the stuff on my iPod. strangely they're both sort of progressive rock hybrid genres. been checking out some of the recs from this thread, so far so good. makes me even want to dig out some of those old Zappa albums. Keep it coming!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ1QR6ATAYE

Roberto Jacketti & Scooters - kaktie

That Barnes & Barnes song is lovely. Reminds me of Ween.

Zygotes only live once.

Gentle Giant's drummer is pretty zany.

rupert hine maybe?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPs3bT-knNs