Katzenjammer (by Ally)

Itʼs a hoedown! Itʼs a circus! Itʼs an organ grinder with his little monkey! No, itʼs Katzenjammer! This four-member, all-girl band hails from Norway and includes attractions such as wicked skills (each member of the band can play all the instruments and sing lead on any given song), kick-ass four-part harmonies and a giant cat-faced balalaika. The album, Le Pop, has 13 tracks that have been simmered in a wide variety of different musical flavors such as good ol' fashioned country, sultry underground Parisian nightclub, broken-down music boxes and cotton candy straight from your local county fair.

1. Overture- A slow-paced, creepy polka that begins with the oom-pa-pa of the accordion, and eventually melodic, ghostly voices join in. The song reaches it climax right at the very end with dramatic tension before it throws itself into the next song.

2. A Bar in Amsterdam- Blaring trumpets greet the listener right away in this high-energy jig. A banjo and string bass are constantly driving the piece forward while still remaining under the vocals and trumpet. Occasionally a wood block and accordion will pop out of the rich texture of the piece. The quick tempo and the lyrics add a sense of urgency to the piece, while the trumpet playfully tease the listener during interludes. When you hear this piece, you wonʼt be able to stay seated!

3. Demon Kitty Rag- I donʼt know what this song is actually about. But itʼs fun to listen to anyways! Lead vocalist Marianne plays around with different voices, ranging from high and squeaky to low and monstrous.

4. Tea with Cinnamon- Completely different from anything else on the entire album! All the other songs have a rich texture containing various instruments and vocals, all competing together in a delightful assault on the ears. This song is the complete opposite. The instrumentation is pulled way back, and the melody and harmonies of the voices become the main focus. It as an uplifting tune and tempo, despite being about a bad break-up.

5. Hey Ho on the Devilʼs Back- Imagine yourself sitting around a campfire in the middle of the woods late on a summer night. You begin to hear a “true” tale of a woman who made a deal with the devil. Now pull out you Katzejammer cd and listen to it! This song is a dark fairy tale about a woman who accepts a piggyback ride home from the Devil himself after he finds her she lost in the woods. Not only are the lyrics haunting, but so are the opening chords. It soon picks up into a dance-able tempo, and you find yourself divided between the urge to get up and boogie and the urge to concentrate on the story.

6. Wading in Deeper- This is a mournful piece about a woman who has struggled in her life and can no longer deal with the pain and depression she is living in. Itʼs never stated clearly what has happened to the woman, but the lyrics hint at it when they say “Two hands that are white, canʼt put up a fight/ Bereft of all strength and the flames in her eyes/ The infant, the damage, the plunder, the pillage/ Her ruins of smoke, this river canʼt choke”. The opening melody sounds very much like an old forlorn music box, adding to the overall mood of the piece.

7. Le Pop- Yet another song where Iʼm unsure of what itʼs about. All I know for sure is that itʼs a song dedicated to the awesome-ness of their album and band. And it contains the only swear word on the entire album. The four part harmonies are showcased frequently and the instrumentation and beat are made to be danced to.

8. Der Kapitän- This songs is the intermission of the album. It begins just like Overture, but then breaks into its own song. Wordless, but full of the signature Katzenjammer four-part harmonies . . . and trumpet!

9. Virginia Clemm- Virginia Clemm is a scorned woman looking back and reflecting upon the past. In the beginning of the song you hear the clicking of an old photo projector flipping through what we can only imagine as being photos from happier times, and an old music box playing. In between the verses you can hear a Stroh violin sighing a melancholy tune.

10. Play My Darling Play- Another cute, up-beat song urging us to be hopeful when things look bad. Katzenjammer tells the story of a queen whose country is on the brink of ruin, but is told to “play my darling, play”, because “thereʼs a world outside your broken borders”. They go on to tell about a lonely young girl who is down on her luck, but again is told to be hopeful and that things will get better. The happy-go-lucky music can be attributed to the various instruments used in the piece, including harmonica, banjo, mandolin, a washboard and cookie jars. This song will definitely brighten up the darkest of days.

11. To the Sea- Thereʼs the clash of chords being played at random, then all the keys are played simultaneously as a hand flys up and down the piano, reflecting the storm that is the subject of this song. A captain takes his crew out during a horrible storm, and they are all lost...all except for the captain himself. This is a decision that haunts him for the rest of his life. Despite the bleak lyrics, itʼs an upbeat song that easily gets caught in your head. Itʼs my favorite song on the whole album, and I canʼt resist singing along at the top of my lungs when Iʼm out driving around.

12. Mother Superior- Itʼs easy to imagine the events in this song as they are taking place. The song is about a wild young woman whoʼs throwing a party in the convent while Mother Superior is gone.

13. Ainʼt No Thang- This song is, in fact, a bonus track on the album. Reminds me of O Brother, Where Art Thou?. A song about a woman whoʼs fed up with her man. Marianne sings lead on this song, so again she plays around with funny voices like in “Demon Kitty Rag”. Like “Play My Darling Play”, it also features various uncommon instruments like washboards, accordion cases, beer bottles, a mandolin, sitar and banjo, a cardboard box, a wall and a floor.

Top five favorite songs from the album- 1) “To the Sea”, 2) “A Bar in Amsterdam”, 3) “Mother Superior”, 4) “Tea With Cinnamon”, and 5) “Wading In Deeper”.