Tonetta on Black Tent Press

I don't know what I was planning on writing about today, but it doesn't matter since Black Tent posted this announcement on facebook (!?) for a Tonetta 7" over the weekend.

The full length...hell, the videos are amazing, and I admit I might have not even been listening to them that closely, not that it mattered...it was too good to be true. But when I actually put the record on the turntable it was like Leonard Cohen and Ariel Pink teamed up for this weird canned backup track instrumentation and completely carnal vocals. Actually listening to the music, it's pretty amazing, it has the feel of pressing that demo button on a casio, but it's a lot more complex...the chord changes, the drum fills...he's no Wesley Willis, there's some musicianship behind the tracks. They all have kind of the same feel....sort of '80's background elevator, or mall soundtrack, they're clearly second tier to the vocal, which is full frontal sexy baritone. I was shocked at how great they are even in melody. They're hard to break down and figure out what exactly is going on in the slightly dance-inspired hit like "drugs drugs drugs", but it really will kill anyone lyrically the first time around. It can hold up to more than just the gimmick factor...
I really get the feeling this guy gets off on creating this character with these ideas that he wouldn't admit to. 'I'm gonna marry a prostitute', and 'A Really big cock'. As much as the tracks are great by themselves, it's really impossible to divorce from his imagery. It's a Tim & Eric sketch brought to life. Here's this older gentleman out there in Toronto, shooting these completely outsider spicy videos for himself and then youtube came along ...(why did he want to share them with the world again?)... I guess Tonetta really wants an audience. Everyone does...but it feels like a compulsion of some kind to have people see him sort of humiliated? Subjecting himself to the comments alone...he's got to be kind of into it.The sad bastard acoustic solo dude in his bedroom is kidding himself if he thinks he doesn't want this kind of attention. It makes perfect sense to contact this guy to release an album, but at the same time I'm surprised it actually made it to vinyl.

He literally wouldn't exist for anyone else without youtube or the internet at all for that matter. I'm sure he needs to do this, he's compelled to communicate his fetishes mostly...and that makes sense. What do you care more about then fucking? Food? That's boring to sing about. Singing and music is sex, Tonetta's taking it back to the reason why we came up with melody in the first place, to get attention for some action. I just know he's the real deal, it oozes with sincerity and idiosyncrasy. The kind that shouldn't ever be duplicated, that's better than anyone trying could ever imagine.

This will be gone along with the full length LP from Black Tent Press, as I'm writing this. I wish he would play live, but then again, maybe not.

Get it Going b/w Mmm Mama! 45

140gm 45
2 color serigraph
remastered to vinyl by Butchy Fuego
#BTP005