wacky tacky tunes: Get Bent! The Music of Thee Cormans

(photo by Bea White)

I've always admired writers.  Their ability to connect words in a way that is at once meaningful, informative and entertaining has always been a source of fascination.  I have a particular respect for playwrights and screenwriters as they take on the challenge of writing for performance - a medium in which language should convey character and emotion and sound like something a person would actually say.  To illustrate this concept and really put things in perspective, I thought I would share my favorite line from Roger Corman's 1961 Creature from the Haunted Sea.   In the immortal words of Charles B. Griffith:

"It was dusk; I could tell because the sun was going down." 

Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961)

"I could tell because the sun was going down" - poetry, sheer poetry.  It's tough being a schlockmeister!  But don't tell that to Thee Cormans, the three-piece garage/punk/surf/fuzz band that exemplifies every aspect of the wacky tacky ideal.  Equal parts Roger Corman, Don Rickles, Ed Wood and Candy Johnson, Thee Cormans are the embodiment of schlock rock (I thought I was coining a phrase but as with everything I always end up a day late and several dollars short)!

Thee Cormans, in no particular order (except for importance):

The Creature - guitar
Favorite things - hamburgers, chocolate milk, Davy Crockett

(photo by Bea White)

The Ape - drums, witty sayings
Favorite things - boobies, talking too much, Eastern spiritual philosophy

(photo by Bea White)

Faggenstein - bass
Favorite things - apple cores, Jillian Michaels, roadkill

(photo by Bea White)

the tadpole - special guest, tambourine, go-go
Favorite things - baby chickens, sandwiches, baby chicken sandwiches
(photo by Bea White)

Thee Cormans is foremost a band.  Thus, the music is the thing.  

"The Haunted Sea"

Thee Cormans live at Hurley - Costa Mesa, CA

Thee Cormans is even more than just music; it is a lifestyle.  By "lifestyle" I mean a fervent commitment to laziness, crudeness, overeating, raunchiness and shameless self-promotion.  In short, Thee Cormans is a living PSA for wacky tacky and retroactive birth control.  There are a few more things that you should know about Thee Cormans:

They're tough

They model

They have their own get away car.

Thee Cormans-mobile

Source

Also, the merchandising possibilities are endless!

There is never a shortage of merchandise, including t-shirts,

 45's, buttons, stickers & plush, Creature-head pillows!

Custom Surfboard by DanO Kustom Surfboards

This ain't no Sesame Street!

Records

Screenprinted Beach Towel by Tugboat Studios

Thee Cormans fin by Captain Fin Co.

How many bands do you know that have their own set of nesting russian dolls?

Thee Cormans are on In the Red Records
Stay tuned for their forthcoming LP.

Be sure to visit Thee Cormans at their blog and "like" them on Facebook.

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny