Quintron
(Goner)
Since taking up residence there in the mid-nineties, Quintron (real name: Jay Poggi) is something of a local institution whose bizarre demeanor, bizarre-er music, and bizarre-est fashion sense all seem as quint(ron)essentially New Orleans as Ignatius J. Reilly and Mardi Gras beads. But don't look for him in the French Quarter or any other place Girls Gone Wild would film. He avoids the show-us-your-tits party center for the seedier side of the city, where he and wife/collaborator/foil Miss Pussycat (Panacea Theriac) mix gospel organ, go-go beats, stomping garage-rock rhythms into a gloriously chintzy pastiche of local flavor. His songs are works of outsider art.
Quintron's latest record, Too Thirsty for Love (either his tenth, eleventh, or twelfth, depending on how you count), begins as a loose concept album about romance among New Orleans prostitutes, and finds its grimy groove very early. After the short title track, which sets up whatever storyline there is, "Waterfall" and "Walk to the Harvest" sound focused and purposeful, which are two highly stuffy adjectives to apply to this sort of music. And yet that sense of conciseness means their feverish jive-talkin' vocals and leg-splayed organ riffs hit your jugular squarely. And despite not getting a credit on the spine (they've released a few albums under both names), Miss Pussycat plays a major role here, offering deranged vocals and genuine feminine sass against her husband's horny growls.
"The Boss Wants to Party with You" progresses the gigolo storyline with a belching synth beat and distorted vocals, but dials back the energy and the hook, but as the album proceeds, Quintron moves away from its streetwise specifics and collapse into something completely different much less structured. That trajectory-from somewhat orderly to more or less chaotic-either signals a lack of discipline or reveals his flexibility in letting the music shape itself. It's not all downhill: For the short "Sunday Night" Quintron affects a skewed English accent that's more convincing than Madonna's, and Miss Pussycat's vocals liven up the sleazy "Dirt Bag Fever" and "Grey Ghost." The hip-shaking "Freedom" sounds sweaty and exhausted, yet ever determined. After "Final Conflict," a weird intro about television show featuring gladiator raccoons, Quintron rallies with "Model Ex Citizen," a raging organ shaker that closes the album out with what sounds like his last drop of energy.
It's a wonderful mess of an album about a wonderful mess of a world.
Standout Tracks: "Waterfall," "Walk to the Harvest" STEPHEN M. DEUSNER
