Guest Review: Amber does Soul Coughing's "Ruby Vroom"

Probably the funniest and most random person I know, my friend Amber(visit her blog ...For What It's Worth)

wrote a review of Soul Coughing's first album, Ruby Vroom.

Fun Fact about this album: The title came from one of the collaborator's daughters name, Ruby Froom. However, the drummer of the band couldn't say 'Froom' and would say 'Vroom' instead. So. Yeah.

Released in 1994, it was Soul Coughing's first album. I bought it used somewhere around 1999, right after I bought their third album 'El Oso' and fell in love with the band. This may be one of my favorite albums of all time; it's one that I'll put away and always come back to. Their sound is different; they use samples from the likes of Andrew's sisters and Raymond Scott's 'Powerhouse', more commonly recognized as the factory tunes in Warner Brothers cartoons; their guitars are clangy and metallic and they use an upright double bass, which is basically the most awesome shit ever. When I first bought it, I was 15. My favorite songs on the album were 'Bus to Beelzebub' and 'Screenwriter's Blues'. Now, almost ten years later I listen to the same album and hear songs differently than before, appreciating tracks like 'True Dreams of Wichita' and 'Janine' for their laid-back, almost melancholy temper. It's one of the few albums I own where I don't feel compelled to skip even one track on it. Their seemingly nonsensical lyrics provide an air of honesty with the way they're sung. The entire album has kept me engaged for years.

Thanks Amber!!! Again, visit her @ her blog ...For What It's Worth