Category:
World

Try if you like:
Altered Images, Dick Dale, Shonen Knife

Thai pop just sounds like stoned messages from outer space. Never afraid to overdo the echo and reverb, to toss in any idea they’ve overheard from Western pop and rock, to warp the bejeezuz out of their own traditional folk frameworks, it is to say the least, gloriously unhinged and hairy, like musical black ops sent in to illegally hunt for VC. As an added bonus, no one—NO ONE-takes Surf to maniacal levels like Thai bands! And if it is possible to trip on music alone, one spin of Pairoj’s cover of “The Night Chicago Died” is sure outdo any heroic dose of mushrooms.

Included are famous Thai acts like Molam, Luk Thung, and Buppah Saichol, whose eerie vocals elevate “Roob Lor Tham Pai” (loosely translated to “There Are Many Handsome Men Out There”) to the level of Dada. “Thai Pop Spectacular” is one of the few comps that lives up to its name. There is a spectacular variety of blended styles, Asian pop and folk, US funk and jazz, and seriously bent comedy.

 

Other gems include the fuzzy “Tid Lom Ta Lia” by Man City Lion, “Look Whose Underwear is Showing” by Kabuan Garn Yor Yod Tung Yong, and Duongdao and Chailai’s snarky “Monthly Wife.” A feast for the senses and the synapse, “Thai Pop Spectacular” is another winner from Sublime Frequencies, and a worthy, shocking party record to bust out when you want to impress and/or freak your buddies.