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It is amazing to see that Mannheim Steamroller, formerly found in your regular record stores' New Age or Xmas bins, have moved fully into a style of music that fits in absolutely no section bin whatsoever. A staggering accomplishment in recorded sound. Please watch the first video before watching the second. Any proposed invented genre titles welcome in the comments section. Thanks to my Mannheim Steamroller share pals: Flloyd, Kabuki, Craig.
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How bout "Fuckin' Goofy" ?
Posted by: W. | December 07, 2007 at 05:22 PM
Middle-aged electronica? Smooth techno?
Posted by: Josh | December 07, 2007 at 07:02 PM
Why, oh why did I watch both those videos all the way through? Can someone please tell me that? Just how gullible can I get? I kept expecting something interesting, or startling, or a punchline, or something, anything but a caffeine reflux flashback of the bad old days of early MTV. As Paddy Roberts said, "Merry Christmas, you suckers."
Posted by: furu inu | December 07, 2007 at 07:16 PM
Here's hoping "the Theremin" becomes America's hottest new dance craze.
The song could pass for a Miss Kittin and the Hacker b-side from 2001. Who knew electroclash would one day be repurposed as adult-contemporary easy listening?
Posted by: R | December 07, 2007 at 07:32 PM
Damn, is that Mannheim stuff recent? 25 years ago it would have fit somewhere between later DAF & the B52s, or side by side with M. But now? Whatever the genre is these guys also belong here http://youtube.com/watch?v=AkAhmH40kiM
Posted by: SS | December 07, 2007 at 07:58 PM
I think I know exactly what's going on. One of my guilty pleasures is William Orbit, who might be described as New Age Techno. Even though I genuinely enjoy two or three of his tunes, I've always had the strong suspicion that his main musical motivation was getting girls. I suspect the same thing is going on here...
Posted by: hjmaiere | December 07, 2007 at 08:19 PM
kibbakibbakibba!
Posted by: Kilgore Trout | December 07, 2007 at 08:25 PM
THAT'S it!
Posted by: Brian Turner | December 07, 2007 at 08:31 PM
How about "MAMOA" (Middle Age Musicians On Acid)? They must be trippin'...
Posted by: TiamatsVision | December 07, 2007 at 08:53 PM
Mannheim Steamroller? I was expecting not to like it, but I did enjoy it. The video feels a bit 80's and the
whole thing feels Eurocheesy to me, but its not a bad flavor; Thank you.
Posted by: Jeffersonicus Diatomaceous Skate-Key | December 07, 2007 at 09:03 PM
it's so safe and watered down. your dad could really understand.
Posted by: miles | December 07, 2007 at 09:05 PM
Geritechno? Lawrence Welk for boomers?
Posted by: Jeff Phinney | December 07, 2007 at 11:49 PM
I'd call it Thespian Rock, or Theatregasm. I kept waiting for the magic trick.
Posted by: kdrt | December 08, 2007 at 12:23 AM
Pitching Woo
Posted by: Kevin | December 08, 2007 at 08:54 AM
What tha. . .?
Wikipedia says that the brains behind this group, Chip Davis, was also responsible for creating the character of C.W. McCall and the 1976 CB radio-themed novelty hit "Convoy."
And here's the capper:
"In 1990, American Gramaphone Records [Chip Davis' label] issued a CD containing a number of old McCall tracks re-recorded for the digital CD age, plus a new song, "Comin' Back For More", which was inspired by Alferd Packer, an alleged cannibal from the 19th century."
Posted by: Fatherflot | December 08, 2007 at 02:16 PM
What's worse - that I actually played that video multiple times or that I did the kibbakibbakibba in the privacy of my own home?
Posted by: \_escarpment | December 08, 2007 at 02:26 PM
I don't know bout you guys, but if I had to, I'd file this under "New Wave".
I might put a tag on it somewhere that said something like, "...caught in a time warp"
Posted by: Linsel | December 08, 2007 at 02:49 PM
all i know is that mannheim steamroller got his start doing stuff for bose to show off the range of their stereo gear. hence a lot of audiophiles were all like fufufufufufufufufufuuf let's get this album with our new $10,000 dollar stereo systems because it's the 80's and we are drunk with power and high on cocaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.
Posted by: campbell | December 08, 2007 at 04:33 PM
Well said.
Posted by: Brian Turner | December 08, 2007 at 07:52 PM
I second K. Trout's motion to call the genre "kibbakibbakibba".
Yes please.
Posted by: Grant | December 09, 2007 at 03:00 AM
This first video strikes me as somehow Eurovision... say something on a German "Schlager/Volksmusik" variety TV show. So I'd file this under "Schlager-Techno".
Posted by: krebstar01 | December 09, 2007 at 05:04 AM
A new genre name? Well, what do you get when you combine ponderous with "poderoso", Spanish for "powerful"? Ponderosa!
Posted by: Parq | December 09, 2007 at 11:05 PM
It's just electronic dance music at the end of the day.
Posted by: Chris R. | December 10, 2007 at 09:07 AM
I don't have a suggestion, but the first song made my kitten leap from my lap onto my face, claws extended.
Posted by: Vesper | December 10, 2007 at 04:10 PM
I know where this fits. There is a catagory already. Vanity Projects, or maybe Mid-Life Crisis. When I saw this video my first thought was "Chip has a new girlfriend" and she was like "I wanna sing a song" but she spoke it instead. This video pales in comparison to the christmas ones. Especially "Little Drummer Boy" or the yellowy polaroids of "Bring a Torch". You'll wish some one HAD brought a torch. Pay close attention. There is a quiz afterwards....
Posted by: flloyd | December 10, 2007 at 09:03 PM