Peeping Tom is Mike Patton

MP3 Masala: Peeping Tom - "Mojo"-(MP3 Removed)
MP3 Masala: Peeping Tom - "Don't Even Trip" (MP3 Removed)

[Check Peeping Tom's Myspace for streams of these tracks]

My parents took me to see Faith No More when I was a wee lad. It was my first concert, and Mike Patton was an absolute animal. I'll always have a still frame snapshot in my mind of a mid-pogo Mike doing the helicopter with his (then long and red) mop. And I'll hear his shape-shifting voice killing every second of every one of the ambitious The Real Thing tunes, well after these nightly Mercury Lounge visits take what's left of my hearing.

And it'll still sound good.

After their pioneering debut (and incensing PETA by filming a floundering fish with a piano on fire), the band released an even more ambitious, nearly perfect collection of art rock, operatic vocals and sludge metal with the perpetually underrated Angel's Dust. Ranks among my all time fave albums.

So when I heard that Patton was working on a "true pop album" -- after a career rife with interesting -yet-erratic projects like Mr. Bungle -- my attention was at full mast. Of course, anytime I hear Patton' s name in association with a project I'm curious (see also: Patton's production and contributions to Bjork's Medulla). With a voice that runs eight octaves and acquiesces to all sorts of stylistic indulgences -- from extended arias to guttural growls, from beautiful balladeering to hair metal howls -- there's nothing the man can't do.

And the promise of him reigning it all in for a perfected pop gem -- enticing as it was -- seemed too good to be true.

From the sound of these Peeping Tom MP3s, that just may be.

"Mojo" (featuring Rahzel and Dan the Automater) sounds like something from Angel's Dust; for that reason, I love it. Lyrics dealing with narcotic lures, vocals that convey desperate demons and torturous fits. "Don't Even Trip," however, doesn't do much for me 'til that bridge three minutes in. That's where we see Patton's voice in full display, and that's the section that most closely resembles a pop song.

Still, it's Mike Patton, and for that reason totally worthwhile. As the bio says, this is "a pop record, alas a Mike Patton pop record, but a pop record nontheless." I guess that just means that it's more listenable than some of his past projects.

Pitchfork reported on the project today as well, providing a May 30th release date and detailing a list of cameos a mile long: Kool Keith, Massive Attack, Amon Tobin, Bebel Gilberto, Dub Trio, Kid Koala, Dale Crover of the Melvins, Rahzel, and Anticon associates Jel, Odd Nosdam and Doseone.

And lest we forget Norah Jones, who cusses on a song called "Sucker." Seems she's going through a bit of an image shift, eh?

Finally, if you dig on "Mojo," check Conan tomorrow night for a live performance. And keep your eyes open for the video. Featuring Danny DeVito. At this point, why not?

Comments

nice write up!

That was their debut with Mike, but not their debut overall.

[Claire]

I couldn't agree more about Angel Dust being underrated! Best album ever!