[review] Screaming Timber Men

the staright out of brisbane festival had a zine fair. we decided to make a zine the night before. didnt get done in time due to a broken printer (okay, and copious amounts of beer). here is my contribution, a cd review from the perspective of "Trevor" the HAM radio kid. (the front picture was Zoes dad as a Ham radio kid..
(this is a real band: screaming timbermen website, mp3 downloads
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Trevor´s Long Playing Record Review

Oh joy, on the 23rd of April 1983, an evening of very little solar activity and ideal global cloud dispertion, I managed to get a ragged but distinct signal from the town of Rovaniemi on the artic circle in Finland.
I made contact with Juska, I have no idea how he managed to keep his rig operating in the sauna and it stirs peculiar feelings in me to talk with a fellow ham operator on the other side of the planet who is whipping his naked body with birch branches whilst discussing helmholtz resonators (for we shared an obsession with hi-fi apperatus).
Imagine my pleasure when his promised chrissy present of an album of the latest hip and happening combo from the artic. I do hope my Harry Secombe record was received with equal glee.
I am sure The Screaming Timbermen are household names in Finland, if I was a record mogul a fortune would be made by introducing these fine musicians to the Australian public, sadly there is only one copy of this LP in the country so Mister EMI, here is your chance.
Initially I was expecting some fine Finnish tango, Suomi pop or finely honed beautiful noise, ala The Pink Twins. Imagine my surprise to discover an entire new musical genre, Humppa.
The first number, entitled Dog Doctor`s Hot Weekend, a peppy beat overlaid a charming melody, interspersed with genuine cries from a Lapp husky driver. One can feel the joy of the sun emerging from months of hibernation as the laplander frolics with his four legged friend.
Next up is Revolution Corner, a quieter, evocative number with moments of stirring drama. Penned by `The Screamers´ (as they are known to their fans) for the Soviet television serial of the same name. My heart was steeled, my eyes were moistened and I almost put a post up on the Society of Creative Anachronisms BBS to take up out our lances and storm Bjelke-Peterson House.
Snowmobile Ride with Ludmila builds upon the heartfelt emotions of the previous number with a hip beat that is sure to get any wallflowers toes a tapping. Why has no-one ever made a disco song with piano accordian and the Russian Army gentlemens vocal troupe before?
Oh but the final ditty, again composed for a Soviet television serial (how I wish my rig could pick up KGBTV-3), "Space Walk". A perfect closure, combining the the booty shaking beats, joyful melodies and eerie artic atmospherics that The Screaming Timbermen are famous for into a piece that has unforzen the hearts and hips of dozens of artic dwellers, I am sure that this tune has been the soundtrack to the conception of a whole new generation of `Screaming Timbermen´.
Humppa music is the music of the future and The Screaming Timbermen are the future of humppa. I can´t wait for Juska´s next present, a Humppa band that is known for it´s cover of Jesus Built My Hotrod by Ministry. Moi! Moi!