Welcome to “ONE TRACK MINDS” with Erika Rae Owen from Band Bombshell and Chris Knauf, board member of the Des Moines Music Coalition.  Each week, Erika and Chris take turns selecting a song of their choice, listen to it together for the first time, and document their reactions, thoughts and witty banter via instant messenger.  

This week, Chris chose “Teetotaler” from H.D. Harmsen.

Listen along while you read their commentary:

Chris:  From the opening notes I already love it.

Erika:  I like the big band-y sound of it.  I just wrote the 80/35 write-up on Harmsen and I’m always surprised by how versatile his sound is.

Chris:  YES!  If you haven’t already, you must check out Bryan Ferry’s Big Band.

Erika:  Never heard of that. I will check that out.

Erika:  Sounds kind of drunkish almost. Does that make sense?

Chris:  Sloppy but not at all, right?

Erika:  Exactly.

Chris:  Feels like its best heard with some bourbon and sweat.

Chris:  But lets face it…how many things go so much better with Bourbon and sweat?  Running.  Exercising.  Parenting.

Erika:  That should be the name of his next album.

Chris:  As Chief Bombshell of Band Bombshell, have you had much experience with Mr. Harmsen in the past?

Erika:  We got to debut his first video off of Papoose, actually!

Before Huffington Post discovered him.

Chris:  Seriously?

Erika:  Yes.  I actually just met him recently when I was checking IDs at The Lift.

Chris:  You nerded out…didn’t you?

Erika:  I did.  I love being able to see people name’s on their IDs and weirding them out when I call them out. They seem to forget their names are plastered on their IDs. That’s how I recognized Harmsen.

Chris:  I had the pleasure of painting a piano with him this weekend for some music video.  He and his wife are two of the most patient people I’ve ever met.  They had two kids (not their own) with paint all over their hands, just destroying their home, and they couldn’t have cared less.  Great people.

Erika:  The best kind of people it seems. In the words of Mugatu, “Harmsen… So hot right now.”

Chris:  Crap…I’m missing that reference, aren’t I?

Erika:  Yup. Finally! My turn to blast a joke over your head!

It’s from Zoolander.

Chris:   Dammit!  I should have gotten that.  I’m giving you Blue Steel right now. #contextfree

Erika:  Hahaha. I can feel it. It hurts.

Chris:  I feel like Baz Luhrmann should direct this video

Erika:  This is very Moulin Rouge like.

Chris:  If Maximum Ames truly cared for their artist, they would immediately fork a cold million over to Baz and make it happen

Erika:  I agree. Have you watched the video?

Chris:  Not yet…I will

Chris: So…keeping with the context free theme…how many rusty trombones do you give it?

Erika:  It’s so good. Fits it perfectly.  I give it a 4.5/5. I wish it were longer.

Chris:  That’s exactly what I was going to say! What’s your favorite song that should be at least a minute longer?

Erika:  Hmmm…that’s really tough.

Chris:  Mine is Jump Start by The Hang-Ups.  Ellie’s is Chicken Monkey Duck by some guy named Mike Phirman

Erika:  Pink Floyd – “Wish You Were Here”.  Chicken Monkey Duck?! I want to hear that.

Chris:  If Chicken Monkey Duck lasted even a second longer than it already does, I would be deaf by now.

 

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