Uncle Bonsai - Boys Want Sex in the Morning

Name: Uncle Bonsai
Album: Boys Want Sex in the Morning
Year:1986
Style: Folk, Comedy
Similar Bands: Pianosarus, Andrew Sisters, Roches, Dr. Demento, Ed's Redeeming Qualities
"One-Word" Review: Witty Jovial Acoustic Harmonized Folk
Based Out Of: Seattle, Wa
Label: Freckle Records

Cover, Record, Lyrics & Notes

Back, Record, Lyrics

Boys Want Sex in the Morning (1986)

1. Send My Body Home 3:30
2. Isaac's Lament 3:50
3. In It for the Children 3:29
4. I Want a Man 1:30
5. Fat Boys 3:48
6. Silent Night 5:17 /
7. Don't Put it in Your Mouth 3:53
8. Boys Want Sex in the Morning 3:28
9. Heartache 4:40
10. Billboard Love 2:58
11. Lois Lane 3:55
12. Cheerleaders on Drugs 2:47
13. The Star-Spangled Banner 2:10

Album Rating (1-10): 5.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Arni Adler - Vox (Christine Lavin, Linda Waterfall)
• Ashley (Eichrodt)  Kristen - Vox (Christine Lavin)
• Andrew Ratshin - Vox, Guitar (Electric Bonsai Band, Mel Cooleys, Christine Lavin, David Roth)
• Larry Nefzger - Producer, Engineer
• Dan Mortensed - Live Sound
• Karen Moskowitz - Cover
• Tom Scworer - Layout
• Sam Atwater - Insert
• Linda Newman - Insert
• Backstage - Live Venue

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. This album is quite perplexing. It screams everything i'd like in an indie, hipster band...provocative album title, two girls & one guy band make up, cool kitschy indie cover and back photo, almost like a goofy & colorful Belle & Sebastian spread. But this is a live recording, so with out knowing their catalogue, does this capture tracks from previous albums, or is this one of their first releases, and it just works better live...also, only Ratshin plays guitar, so is the album just guitar and vocals? No bass, drums, or key/synth? My preconceived notion about the album is that I'll like it a lot as just enough mix of juvenile humor and fun indie pop melodies.

Album Review: One guitar and two or three angelic voices comprises the music for UB, but throw in high-brow toilet humor and witty envelope pushing topics, you have a folk band that could also be considered anti-folk with its lack of naivety. The lofty music and complex harmonies give the surface appearance of a simple jovial folk act. While it is interesting and captivating at first, this is not the sort of album that holds my interest and I would not come back to for multiple listens. 

They had two basic periods of activity, 1981 - 1988, and then 1998 - present, where they have still been playing out over the past couple years with one personnel change: Kristen is no longer part of the band since 2007. This is the second of three albums from the first period: two of which were live recordings. The trio was formed in Seattle, but all went to Bennington College in VT. 

Stand Out Track: In It For the Children

Links:
Spotify Full Album + 2 bonus tracks
Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic
Website
10 lb fiddle 2018 show
Seattle Folklore Society 2020 show

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