Alex Minicozzi of New Jersey may have an unhealthy turtle obsession ”” anyone doubting this need only to glance at the album cover of E to the Eye Pie Equals One: a crayon-colored illustration of a turtle hovering over a toilet seat, shitting (or birthing) baby terrapins. Other than studying turtles, Minicozzi seems intent on pledging loyalty to and maintaining devotion towards a DIY-style of music-making. Almost always working by his lonesome, Minicozzi subscribes to the bedroom messy mishap school of rock ”” reminiscent of early Why? material. The similarities between Trtl Soup and Why? are plentiful ”” there is even a Dictaphone recording of a family singing "Happy Birthday."
The art of imperfect recordings has long been perfected, but the charm of a bedroom aesthetic prevails if done correctly (and by correctly, we mean unintentionally incorrectly ”” without pretense). The formula is easy to adhere to for this type of music, seeing as how anything goes. (This notion is exemplified by Minicozzi's singing. It's bad singing of the "not even going to try to be in tune" variety.) This approach widens the field and thereby decreases your chance of leaving a deep-denting mark. Trtl Soup may not have achieved that just yet, but they are on the right track.
"Grandmaster Fascist" crawls with a melody like the demented offspring of "Lean On Me." "Conversations With My Fat" is a heart-to-heart with the gut ”” the gut that has betrayed its owner. "Acid Bowels" sounds like church when the music coordinator is forced to put an organ arrangement to a non-song selection of words ”” a halted tempo, crammed to measures, with no rhyming. The epic "Turtle Soup" is a slipshod conglomeration with multiple shifts. The story can be either a light form of entertainment or a nuisance, depending on how accepting you're feeling. This brand of music is left to the listener to either celebrate or lampoon. It can go either way. Regardless, it's funny to hear someone throw in a word like the Dahl-coined vermicious to describe a turtle's grin.
1. Wall Street Wants His Bottle
2. Ben Seaver
3. Ely (Nevada)
4. Grandmaster Fascist
5. Conversations With My Fat
6. Belly Talkers
7. Halitosis
8. Acid Bowels
9. Turtle Soup
More about: Trtl Soup
