SLIGHTLY
CONFUSING TO A STRANGER
Troy Lukkarila
Unsafe Structure
(LukaLips Deconstruction
Co. ) 2005
I'm
thinking of my personal heroes: JW Gacy,
Mark David Chapman, Bozo the Clown, Sparklehorse. Make
room for one more: Troy Lukkarila.
Kids,
don't get too attached to the characters in Troy's story lines on
Unsafe Structure like I did - although the tales may begin with a
beaming jolt of sugary sunshine, these cats are gonna'
DIE! Here's how I arrive at what grandeur Lukkarila is
making: Imagine Calexico drove their tumbleweed stagecoach of a cliff
somewhere around Tempe (when not trying to ride coattails on Sam Beam's
career, of course) and ended up discovering a notebook of unreleased
solo David Byrne tunes around the "Miss
America" time in his career (Feelings). Add to that
equation whomever survived the stagecoach trauma found love for the
Devil and injected his charisma into their spine eight-balled with
tainted pig's blood. That my friends is gearing you up for the
fantastically schadenfreude tales Troy has sent us.
Backed
by a crew that wields violins, saws and a vast array of digital horns &
whistles (for performance and defense), Lukkarila's hymns are embedded
with an almost cult-like B-movie score (hear: "Scars of Love"). Ok, I
mentioned "Scars
of Love" - you deserve a peek (you really must hear
it) . This story begins swell enough, with a father telling of his love
& joy for his daughter (from birth to this day): "You are smart as
can be / you're headed for great things / I am so proud of you".
Awww, shit Dad - thanks. Well, this particular anthem is really directed
at any penis that attempts to ever knock his daughter up and/or off her
predestined path to stardom. Basically atop a dark mix of violins and
cinematic swirls, Lukkarila threatens to place physical "scars of love"
on these boys (maybe even his daughter from what I can tell) - "deep
gashes into the cheeks" and the like.. . shit yes! He seals it all
up in a bloody ziploc by stating "little girl I don't think things
are the same for us / but one day you will thank me for looking after
your best interest" (pron. "in-trust" so it rhymes.. clever
killer).
Are
you still here? Good - see Troy isn't so wrapped up in twisted fiction
(is it?) that he can't knock himself around a bit. He actually states,
in quite a sad fit of acoustic art on "The Family", that he sucks as
random guests at the party tell him what scum he is - but not before he
admits to "fucking strange women" and pissing his pants. I honestly feel
like I have found the man who has the ability to show Tenacious D their
own fat asses with what he has cleverly stitched together (with human
hair) on Unsafe Structure.
I
swear, if the fucking Arcade Fire get a
33 1/3
book on that horror that is Funeral before Unsafe Structure
gets hers, I will burn Paris to the crispy ground (wait.. .).
You think you know but you have NO idea. Unsafe Structure is to
kids with paypal what Salinger is to clever killers in
the Rye. [knowing Target carries his
albums makes me smile to no end].
{ want to
know what really moves an album to the top of
huge stacks?
send us a press photo all dolled-up to look like a birth announcement
(vellum & pink bow) like
this! }
k
:(11.21.05)
sctas.com
(11.
Top21.05)
Smother.Net
Editor's Pick
Troy Lukkarila - Unsafe Structure
I enjoyed Troy’s “Don’t Sit on Tables” with its socio-political and
left-leaning commentary and here he’s back with “Unsafe Structure”. A
tremendous and diverse follow-up, the album populates your ears with
melodies, off-kilter instrumentation and songwriting, and an overt
bizarreness. Jacksonville, Florida may be his home but I dare say that
he might be the product of some deviant and deficient gene pool in the
Blue Ridge Mountains. Or at least that’s how clever he is. Don’t sweat
the small things, he seems to say following it up with an audible
carefree musical swagger in the form of lo-fi experimental rock with
indie pop in one hand and Americana folk in another. Very cool Troy,
very cool.
--J-Sin,
Smother.net,
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Smother.Net
Editor's Pick
Troy Lukkarila - Don't Sit On Tables
Troy is awesome! And probably for more reasons that are inherently obvious on this album. His lyrics are astonishing at times and sometimes they’re funny and even biting at times. “Confessions of a Necrophiliac” starts with the line “It’s not that I like dead women” and continues on why dead girls are better than breathing ones. But it’s not all funny lyrics as evidenced by the line “I’m Amerikan made built from bad advice…and wrong assumptions” in his song “Playing God” which could certainly be applied to recent American foreign policy. But now you know about the lyrics what about the music? Well it’s lo-fi (but not poor quality—there’s a significant difference!) indie rock that could show Beck a thing or three. Crooning occasionally like so many singer/songwriters of yesterday like Dylan he blends styles and instruments like so many artists wish they could. Some standout tracks include “Road Trip” (gotta respect the djembe) and the two phone call tracks, which remind the listener of the lessons of the movie “Swingers”.
--J-Sin, Smother.net,
September, 2003
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JAM
Troy Lukkarila
Don't Sit On Tables
Grade A
The first words out of this guy's mouth are "I want to date them but I scare them" I was hooked. He is a complete and total psychopath. Outside the lines and hard to define like Woody Allen in
Zelig, Lukkarila morphs into the material. He is not a pretty singer, but neither was Roger Waters. The arrangements on this album are imaginative, foreign and amazingly acoustic as opposed to samples, patches and electronics. There's a Bertolt
Brecht/Kurt Weill style of composition that comes straight from the 1920's avant-garde scene in Berlin, particularly the instrumental piece "Mama, Don't Slap Me In Public" which employs soprano saxophone, banjo, tambourine and a bass drum to maximum atonal effect. Lukkarila comes off like Kermit the Frog during the whimsical waltz of "Road Trip" which would, in itself, make an interesting movie about two friends and the adventure they share. But remember, this guy is unhinged, which becomes apparent in the set-up for "Love Is...Love Will," a hilariously disturbing tune about how love will "Beat any restraining order" Is this guy for real? This album may disturb the shit out of you, but it's so very nice to listen to. And the stories – a nasty encounter with an octogenerian hooker, a necrophiliac's ponderings, pyromania set to a beautiful acoustic guitar with an abrasive downbeat and ghostly vocal wailings. Dangerous stuff. Only for lovers of pure music and art.
Troy@lukalips.com, www.lukalips.com
--Bing Futch, jam
Florida's Music Magazine, May, 2000 Issue #301
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INK 19
Troy Lukkarila
Every Day Is Garbage Day
Lukalips Destruction Co.
This record is a perfect example of why guitars and four-tracks need to be handed
out to patients in insane asylums. Where would the world be without Daniel Johnston, after
all? In that spirit, we have Troy Lukkarila, who has burned acoustic music with acid
pouring from the sick reserves of his brain. And those burns are taaaasssttteeee.
The music is fun, for the most part, with poppy-sounding catchy hooks and melodies. But it
is the story being told in the lyrics and the humorous sing-a-longs it entices that makes
this a total winner. The title track, "Garbage Day," reminds me of some sort of
old Butthole Surfers tune, with verses that make you realize how cool it would be to
collect trash. I mean what other job gives you access to "headless dogs,"
"kiddie porn," and "used tampons"? Then the cut "Guys in
Ties" critically, yet humorously, sides with assaholic office studs committing gang
rape (sounds like the scene from The Accused with Jodie Foster). A love ballad follows,
but then we get into some wild fucking noise action with an instrumental that proves this
guy can make some cool sounds; and then my favorite track follows that bad rabbit.
"Friends" is a ballad for our times. The piece examines the need we all have for
a friend, and the desires we shelve to dismember them: "You don't need all the toes
on your feet?" Awesome. Godawful lyrics and the most annoying Casio cello I've ever
heard make this el numero uno.
Pimping, kicking your little brother's ass in, childhood memories of beating up a cripple,
smacking your woman around, worshipping the TV... he does it all without apology and with
alacrity in his heart -- straight outta reform school.
If I had a club, I'd book this guy immediately and make him a regular act. This is the
enema that acoustic music needs to take it to the psychotic level. I'm all for it. Troy
Lukkarila is welcome for dinner anytime. This revolting individual has produced a killer
work of art. It's surprising what can come out of Jacksonville sometimes.
--Lord Gregory, INK 19, March 1999
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NYRock.com
Troy Lukkarila, Don't Sit on Tables (© 2001 Troy Lukkarila)
There's avant-garde, and then there's just plain out there, and Lukkarila is certainly alone in his orbit. Primarily acoustic guitars and vocals, he takes a decidedly different approach to songs – lyrics are biting and true, if from a somewhat skewed perspective. On "Road Trip," for example, he sings, "Next thing you know we were porking again, Then we walked out to get more beer, And you were hit by a car, So I knew it was time to leave this place, But it's been the best road trip by far." Or his cabaret, beat-poet, jazzy "Twenty Bucks," a tale of a 16 year old's odyssey with an over-50, bloated prostitute. Sure it's bizarre, and it's not sing-along stuff. But for the hearty souls out there, it's worth the venture. www.lukalips.com
--Bill Ribas,
NYRock.com
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The Big Takeover
Sorry, but this review not available online. Go pick up an
issue at your local book store. Here a quote:
"He's a one man anti-boredom brigade"
-- Jack Rabid Issue No. 57
Aiding & Abetting
Troy Lukkarila
Unsafe Structure
(self-released)
If Leon Redbone went rootsy and acquired a somewhat juvenile sense of
humor, he might sound like this. Troy Lukkarila has that "old timey"
voice, and he sometimes even incorporates some older structures in his
pieces.
Other times he comes off as a scratchy Jonathan Richman...which isn't
the worst thing in the world, I guess. At times he goes a bit far for a
joke, but he only sacrifices lyrics, not music. The sound on this album
is wide-ranging and always intriguing.
Take the song "Lucy," which sounds more than a little like something
Daniel Johnston might have written, except that these synth horns fly in
at somewhat unexpected intervals. Weird, yes, and certainly unsettling,
but nice nonetheless.
I've never been a fan of weird for weird's sake, and Troy Lukkarila
probably fits into that category. But somehow the force of his
personality and ideas turn the tide for me. I'm smiling all the way.
Jon Worley Aiding &
Abetting
Top
Ear
Candy
Troy Lukkarila,"Unsafe Structure" (LukaLips Destruction Co.)
Something just ain’t right with this guy and I think that’s what makes
him so damn interesting. Remember the Beatles trippy, LSD inspired
period. Well, you can take a trip without the LSD just by giving Mr.
Lukkarila a listen. “When You Get Home” is a great example of how you
can feel totally punch drunk just from listening. The lyrics fly by
faster than your mind can take them in and even if you do take them in
you still don’t know what the hell they mean. I like to call this a cd
collection of blotter songs made to entertain and maybe even enlighten
your brain.
Review by J.R. Oliver
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babysue®
Troy Lukkarila - Unsafe Structure (CD, LukaLips Destruction Co.,
Obtuse pop)
This CD first caught our attention because Rebecca Zapan (one of
our favorite artists of the twenty-first century) plays and sings on it.
But we opted to review Unsafe Structure because the first track
("When You Get Home") had us laughing so hard that we almost fell off
our comfy office chairs. You'll have to hear the lyrics on this song to
believe it. Florida's Troy Lukkarila is a very strange recording
artist. Sounding something like a bizarre underground American version
of Neil Innes (but not really), Lukkarila is...first and
foremost...a comedian. His extraordinarily loose recordings feature
goofy stream-of-consciousness lyrics that are often hilarious...and
almost always unusual. Because of the experimental nature of these
recordings, it is difficult to rate something like this. So instead of
rating this album, we'll leave it up to you, the listeners. Is Troy a
mere weirdo goofball...or is he a modern genius...? Only time
will tell... (Not Rated)
Review by LMNOP®
January 2006
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Agouti Music
Unsafe Structure (3 1/2 out of 5)
This CD is really fucked up.
I’m not one to go around dropping f bombs, but Unsafe
Structure reminds me of kids digging glass bottles out of a dumpster
and throwing them at a brick wall in the alley behind a bar, because
they like the sound and they like watching the glass fly all over. Never
mind that homeless people need to sleep there. Never mind that cars have
to drive through there. They are doing something pointless and
destructive for their own enjoyment.
I never really understood why people slowed down and
looked at accidents on the side of the road, but after listening to Troy
Lukkarila’s CD, I think I am going to start doing it too.
Of the CDs I auditioned this month, Unsafe Structure
had the most-imaginative paperwork accompanying it. There was a nice
announcement with a picture of a guy wearing those hillbilly teeth you
can buy and holding a big cat. Or maybe the guy is small....
So let’s describe the music on this thing, shall we?
Musically, there is nothing fucked up. I really like it. It might be a
little lo-fi or organic-sounding for some people’s tastes, but so be it.
There are some good arrangements and hooks and melodies and a lot of
spooky production stuff, too. My first listen, I wasn’t really paying
any attention to the lyrics, and then, on my second listen, I started to
regret paying attention to the lyrics.
I think Lukkarila is taking a lot of poetic license and
writing from the point of view of narrators who are generally mentally
ill. Maybe Lukkarila is ill, but this sounds too put together for that.
I’ve listened to the music of mentally ill people, and they tend to come
off as outsider music. Wesley Willis and Daniel Johnson come to mind.
This is not outsider music.
Let me give you a little taste without spoiling your
appetite. The first song talks about burying the pieces of someone, but
some pieces are missing. This is someone the narrator loved. Then the
narrator addresses the son and tells him to quit crying and be a man,
and daddy will find a new mommy. Another song was about a father who
doesn’t want his daughter to “give it away too soon” so he cuts up her
face. That way, she’ll be too ugly for the boys who just want to get
some.
Hopefully you’re beginning to accept the fact that I’m
saying this is fucked up. Not every song is quite that messed up though.
Some are just a little bit sickening.
On his website Troy says that people either love him or
hate him. I will have to say I am in between. I really like the musical
portion of this CD a lot. However, I don’t know if I can bare repeated
listens without tuning out the lyrics to some degree.
If you are sickeningly morbid, like that kind of humor
and like lo-fi stuff, Unsafe Structure might be for you. If you
don’t enjoy twisted macabre humor, don’t try listening to this. Just
don’t do it. You’ll get mad at someone, and I am just going to say “I
told you so.”
You can contact the author at:
valentine@agouti.com
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INDIE-MUSIC.COM
Intro/general thoughts: Most of my acoustic guitar-playing artist reviews tend to be folk and/or bluegrass musicians. So a big thank you goes out to Troy Lukkarila for jarring me out of my folkie rut, even if it's only for a little while. As I listened to Lukkarila's sophomore release, "Don't Sit On Tables," I was taken back to my college days when the Violent Femmes and other esoteric music were frequently found on my mix tapes. Lukkarila's music is an odd-yet-effective combination of dark imagery and beat poetry combined with a wry sense of humor that appeals to every college guy who ever headed south for Spring Break.
Type of Music: Alternative
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Highs: I really liked "Twenty Bucks," a coming of age story involving a boy, a woman, and a. . . monetary exchange.
Lows: I can't figure out Lukkarila's thinking behind "Good Wife." It was way too dark and morbid for my tastes, and the ending was depressing. I only hope it wasn't autobiographical.
Favorite Lines: Leave it to Lukkarila to manage to Jerry Springer-ize the noblest of emotions, Love. Think of it as background music for stalkers. Love will Climb over any border Love will Beat any restraining order And love is more potent Than any can of mace And love will Conquer your fingernails in my face.
Fans: If you like David Byrne, the Violent Femmes, James McMurtry, or Jim Painton, you'll like Troy Lukkarila.
Foes: If you like Barry Manilow or the BeeGees, Troy Lukkarila is definitely not for you.
Summary: While Troy Lukkarila's music might not be to everyone's taste, if you're into esoteric music, there's a little something for everyone here. If you like Tom Waits' lyrics, David Byrne's eccentricities, or James McMurtry's moodiness, then Troy Lukkarila's CD is one you definitely need to add to your collection.
--Erik Deckers,
Indie-Music.com
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Folio Weekly
Cool Hand Luke
Why can't there be more records like this one? Jacksonville songwriter Troy
Lukkarila has come up with an antidote to all those angst-addled post-grunge folkies and
self-proclaimed troubadours of acoustic rock with his debut CD "Every Day is Garbage
Day." From the opening track, "Garbage Day"- a disturbing account of living
in a dumpster- it is obvious that Lukkarila sees things a bit differently than the average
strummer. Take the tune "Guys in Ties," a sing-along, beer-swilling ditty
documenting a gang rape in a bar. The brutality of the moment is amplified by the glib,
thoughtless manner in which the "Drunk Guy's" join in for the big chorus. How
about the mean "Bitter Man," a prayer of sorts from an angry, bird flippin' putz
with little to do but express his disdain for himself and others. He vainly begs for
forgiveness for his crummy ways, all the while making things.worse. And there's
Lukkarila's unique approach to creating the tunes. Sound effects- clanking glasses,
overheard conversations- rise and fall beneath the major and minor progressions.
This is some great stuff- raw, pissed off and hilarious. Lukkarila
took an interesting approach to distributing the CD as well, when he slipped a copy into
the bin at Virgin Records in Orlando. "They won't know it's there until someone
brings it to the counter," he laughs, calling his infiltration "reverse
shoplifting." "Every Day..." was produced by Lukkarila, Craig Spirko and
Roy Peak in Spirko's 12th House
Records in Jacksonville.
--John E. Citrone, June 2, 1998
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Muse's Muse
CD REVIEW: Troy Lukkarila - Unsafe Stuctures
By JJ Biener - 12/30/05 - 04:09 PM EST
Troy Lukkarila
Unsafe Structures
Are you the kind of person who thinks watching a South Park
marathon on Comedy Central is a romantic evening? Do you have Bevis
and Butthead on DVD? Do you think Dr. Demento is a misunderstood
genius? Do you believe Howard Stern is the messiah? Were you ever asked
to leave a screening of The Sorrow and the Pity because your
laughter was disturbing the other patrons? If you answered yes to any or
all of the above, I think I have a CD for you, Troy Lukkarila’s
Unsafe Structures.
Note: The excerpt above is only the first
paragraph of the review. The entire review can be read
here.
AMAZON.COM Customer Review (5 stars)
It makes your whites whiter and your brights brighter., November 27,
2001
Reviewer: shazam-fu from Northampton, MA USA
I was lying on the living room floor when I first heard Troy Lukkarila.
I immediately poked my head up & said, "What is this? I like it!" A
couple more songs into the album I shouted, "I love this!" By the end it
was my new favorite cd.
If you're tired of the ordinary, bored with the
predictable and the weird just isn't weird enough then this cd is definitely
for you. Refreshing lyrics like "Dead women are the only
women I can ever seem to get" or "love is more potent than any can of
mace" juxtaposed with pleasant melodies reminiscent of The Muppet Movie
are just the right spice to liven up any stew. It makes your whites
whiter and your brights brighter. Simply brilliant.
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Cumbersome
Records
TROY LUKKARILA- EVERY
DAY IS GARBAGE DAY CD
Now this is one hell of a discovery to make… like Bob Dylan's younger, angrier, (and much, much sicker)
brother! Delightfully twisted!
TROY LUKKARILA- DON'T
SIT ON THE TABLES CD
Like a boil on an otherwise perfect ass… Troy gleefully destroys tunes
with awesome precision. Mix up Camper Van Beethoven, Bob Dylan and Ween.
Every now and again something pops up to remind you just how far an envelope can be pushed… that in fact, envelopes appear to be somewhat infinite in their traveling capability… if you're not listening to what's being said, Florida based Lukkarila's work is- for the most part- well constructed acoustic folk music with a kind of Dylan/Biafra/Ganno tone to the voice… and then suddenly you absorb the lyrics and are taken on a Patrick Bateman style tour of sadism, manipulation, beatings, kidnapping, rape, torture, necrophilia and cannibalism… all with beautiful phrasing and well placed harmonies demanding respect and envy from even the most prolific of folksters… this is just an awesome balance of the gentle nature of folk being delightfully corrupted NOT MUSICALLY but lyrically… doubled over and punked up the ass! With hooks and phrases catchy as hell and wonderfully crafted… it appeals to the prankster kid in everyone. Troy goes all the way out to disturb in the most thoughtful and extreme manner he can muster… his work is bludgeoned across two releases, his debut CD,
Everyday is Garbage Day (pictured)- a definite first stop to slip into Lukkarila psychosis (and potentially the epicenter of Lukkarila madness), then the holy-err than thou follow-up
Don't Sit On The Tables… and if that's not enough there's a plethora of free flash and regular media that will disgust and delight at: www.lukalips.com. Rest assured, it won't be long before you find yrself stumbling home belting out drunken Lukkarila blasphemy to the masses…
The Cumbersome Compendium #3
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Lord
Litter-
well what can I say but: releases like yours are the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing!!
..different..daring..inspiring..EXCITING!! So, airplay guaranteed 'n
forthcomming..
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Zeitgeist
Troy Lukkarila - Every Day Is Garbage Day
A salutary reminder of why Zeitgeist operates from the anonymity of a PO Box. After all, you wouldn't want Troy to come chapping at your door, with this headless dogs, kiddie porn, used tampons. All items the near title track refer to amongst his tales of collecting trash. Nice.
There's "Guys in Ties" getting involved in gang rape (and why the bastards / soccer players get away with it) and "Friends", a beautiful ballad about how we have to put aside our desires for dismembering our nearest and dearest. Madder than a very mad thing, replete with Casio keyboard, Troy is a poet for our times, a Daniel Johnston you can actually listen to.
Alternately, you may want to make an anonymous phone call to a social services department, with a history of enforced medication
liability law suits, and see if you can drop some sugar on them. You know you want to.
Troy also tell us why we should hire him for your next corporate black tie dinner. Amongst the reasons given are;
Troy has never incinerated his fans.
As long as he's not in jail, Troy is very reliable.
Troy has above average personal hygiene.
Troy has a cute ass, or so his girlfriend says.
Troy will not have sex with your underage daughter- unless she really begs and she's cute and his girlfriend is not around.
That should be enough to have you buying this CD now.
PS - Troy is not me operating under a pseudonym.
--unknown reviewer, Zeitgeist,
March 2004
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Zeitgeist
Troy Lukkarila - Unsafe Structure
I'm reasonably sure I told Troy to go away and leave me alone. Hang on
while I check, talk amongst yourselves.................. right, shush,
what I said about "Every Day Is Garbage Day" was 'A salutary reminder of
why Zeitgeist operates from the anonymity of a PO Box. After all, you
wouldn't want Troy to come chapping at your door, with this headless
dogs, kiddie porn, used tampons.'
But no, he had to go and send me another one. I tried hiding it, burning
it, exorcising it, all to no avail. Eventually, like Jason Vorheer, it
resurfaced, replete with the scariest picture of a man and a cat outside
of "Animal Farm" (and I'm talking about the German version, not the
Orwell one!).
It's the usual countrified beefheartian rhythmic tales of spousal abuse,
indecent exposure, breasts, virginity and hobbits. It should be illegal,
straitjacketed and it's all your won fault if you choose to ignore my
sage advice.
--unknown reviewer, Zeitgeist,
June 2006
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Mote Magazine
Troy Lukkarila
Unsafe Structure
LukaLips Destruction Co.
Troy Lukkarila is totally weird and outlandish, but just like a bad car
accident you can't help but pay attention to his music. Lukkarila's
latest album tilted "Unsafe Structure" is a folk inspired freak out. The
album begins with "When You Get Home" a song that describes a murder in
a not so serious matter with rootsy circus music. The song features the
main character murdering his wife and burying the body in the backyard,
but he becomes nervous when he realizes he has misplaced the corpse's
feet and heart. In his songs Lukkarila makes an effort to discuss touchy
subjects with a comical tone. The eccentric nature of the songs continue
through out the album with tracks including "Flash" which is about a man
who exposes himself to women, making use of such lyrics as "looking at
my guy he's all nice and flappy he just wants to make you happy". The
rest of the album is more of the same.
Stylistically the music is well recorded and produced but the song
subjects make the album a novelty instead of an CD one would want to
listen to more than once. On "Scars of Love" Lukkarila attempts to be
serious with an ode to his daughter but it soon turns direction into the
obscure. I think that if Lukkarila would try to be a little more mature
in his songwriting he might actually be well received. Then again it is
this unconventional behaviour that draws my attention, even if I don't
really want to listen to the album. Check it out, you be the judge.
Paul Borchert
Mote
Magazine
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SCRAM Magazine
Troy Lukkarila Unsafe Structure CD (lukalips.com)… If Daniel Johnston
had a wife and kid, he might sing cranky pop songs like these. The
warbly, mannered vocals have that acquired taste outsider quality, and
nearly every song runs long, but the pop sensibilities keep things from
getting impossibly self-indulgent. Still, the song from the POV of a
flasher should have tipped me off that a love song to a baby daughter
couldn’t stay sweet straight through. I kinda hope the daughter is an
imaginary character, because no real kid should have to deal with a dad
obsessed with preserving her virginity from the teenage boys of the
future, much less singing about it!(Kim Cooper)
source
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modern-dance
TROY LUKKARILO. Don't Sit On The Tables. Twelth House Records. LDC600.
This is an odd album! In some respects I was initially put off with the opening track, Compulsion. I was reminded of a cross between Magic Michael and an acoustic street performance artist. And yet, as the album progressed it revealed a collection of songs that were indeed bloody good. In fact, the first couple of tracks do the album no justice at all. Mama, Don't Slap Me In Public, Road Trip, Love Is Love Will, and Come Back are truly fine songs, although there is a hint of the performance artist lurking here and there. I love the two shortish tracks taken from an ansaphone (you need to hear them!!!). The second one has a darkness that reminds me of Roger Waters. In all there's sixteen tracks and eventually I realised that it's not actually a bad album. Still, like the opening chapter of a book, or story, hooks the reader, and an album should start with a pretty good song, and Compulsion isn't exactly listener friendly! Oddly mad album, and it's still growing on me...
(Dw)
--Dw, modern-dance,
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THE REALLY SHITTY REVIEWS
Seems that people either love me or hate me. That's pretty much
how I feel about myself as well. So in the interest of fairness,
I've have decided to include bad reviews. After all, we wouldn't
want you to waste your hard earned cash on something you won't
like. Hey, I'm pretty damn nice, aren't I?
- Troy
SPLENDID
Troy Lukkarila / Don't Sit On Tables / 12th House (CD)
Lyrics are supposed to be the centerpiece here, but they're often a distraction. In "Compulsion", the main character is freakishly afraid of germs, which makes his statements ("There's germs everywhere and I gotta stay clean!") border on "Hey, ain't I weird?" territory. The whole song is like John Merrick, Elephant Man, going up to girls and saying, "I'm a hoot." Such joyously sung self-awareness from the song's subject also hurts "Confessions of a Necrophiliac"; chants like "Dead women are the only kind I ever get" is the type of line you expect from kids who still fart for laughs, not those trying to be Randy Newman. "Twenty Bucks", a prostitution fuck song between a 16-year old virgin and 50-year old hag, is equally weak; at the end of the song the virgin says "Twenty bucks don't get ya what it used to". Like what, for example? When the kid was twelve? Troy Lukkarilla, a good vocalist, musician and occasionally fantastic composer, is far better at song construction than lyrics (where he should only be applauded for playing "the bad guy" in each song). His worst failing is not entering his strange subjects' minds with honesty, and stooping to amusing himself far too readily. His present variety of broad satire might work on a TV skit show, or a video, but not here -- and not on an Adam Sandler album, either. -- td
--td, splendidezine.com,
September 24, 2001
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Here's an awesomely bad review! - T.L.
The
Chickenfish Speaks
Troy Lukkarila - Unsafe Structure - CD
(Luka Lips) What the hell is this mutha' fukin' piece o'shit? It sounds
like some stinky hippy reject from the Manson family spewing out crap
about beatin' the shit out of a woman and killin' her in front of a kid
and that's just the first song. This guy should stop putting out shitty
horn-filled hippy-trippy garbage and spend the money on a case of soap
and flea powder. This boy sounds like he needs his ass kicked by his
mama.
-- Nunchuka' Muthafuka' (2006)
The
Chickenfish Speaks
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Come on! Moronic? You gotta be
kidding! - T.L.
Mish Mash Music
Perhaps you could get a good idea of where Troy Lukkarila is coming from if I quoted a few lines from his song Compulsion: "WASH MY HANDS! / There's germs everywhere / And I gotta stay clean! / There's germs everywhere /and they're all after me!" Yes, Lukkarila specializes in silly songs, enriched with a moronic, low-brow humor that would make Dr. Demento proud, a la Art Paul Schlosser.
Most of the album plods along the expected course of stoopidity (especially on songs like Confessions of a Necrophiliac), yet a few tracks stand out above the rest. The somber mood of Road Trip gives the illusion of a serious song, yet the self-deprecating and juvenile lyrics push irony to the limit: "Mother I do such bad things / Can you look at your son the same?" The same feeling is present in Shy Boy and Playing God. This is where Lukkarila goes beyond mere dumb for dumb's sake and into dark comedy that can be downright painful in its subject matter.
MISH MASH Mandate: Use Your Illusion
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...Here is a negative review that I enjoy quite a bit- T.L.
PRAX
Troy Lukkarila
"Everyday is Garbage Day"
I am confused. I don't know whether Troy Lukkarila is
serious or playing some sort of joke. Either way, this
Jacksonville songwriter has me scared. The songs on his
self-released CD "Everyday Is Garbage Day" are disturbing to
say the least. Many of the songs deal with touchy subjects such as
domestic violence and murder, but not in an anti-violent way. It's
more of an "I like to beat my girlfriend and kill my childhood
playmates" kind of way. I can't figure out if the tone is a
sarcastic or psychotic. It would be nice to think of it as
sarcasm, but it's just too hard to pin. Perhaps Troy Lukkarila is
being sarcastic, but I just don't get the joke.
--Bryon Massey, Prax, July 1998
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Nefarious Entertainment Magazine
Review Type: Don't Sit on Tables/CD Review
Article By: Shannon Taylor
I don't know what to write. I am still trying to recover from "Confessions of a Necrophiliac". Troy, I don't know for sure what the hell was going through your head when you made this CD but if you were trying to make music you were not successful. However, if you were trying to snag attention and shock those that listen into thinking you are very successful!
This is not a CD that everyone is going to get. Hell, I am not sure that I even totally understand what he is trying to say with his music. I still think that I could have lived a long and happy life without ever hearing "Confessions of a Necrophiliac".
--Shannon Taylor,
2003
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Neufuter just doesn't really
seem to like my CDs.- T.L.
Neufutur
Troy
Lukkarila – Don’t Sit On Tables
Troy Lukkarila – Don’t
Sit On Tables / 16 Tracks / 1999 Self-Released / http://www.lukalips.com
/ Reviewed 13 April 2004
Breaking
out of the singer-songwriter with acoustic guitar glut of CDs, Troy’s
“Don’t Sit On Tables” is a very Middle Eastern-influenced journey, which
meshes well with a genre-bending desire by the keen intellect of Troy
eirself. Mixing They Might Be Giants with the typical Dr. Demento fare,
Troy is a keen purveyor of anything that is absurdist. The guest stars
are really where the disc gains its steam, with a very jassy bass
threading itself through the upbeat “20 Bucks”. Troy’s company’s
(Lukalips Destruction Co) slogan is “Music for people who ain’t so damn
stupid”; I refuse to be forced to creating mindless platitudes due to
some unforeseen spectre of “stupidity”. Coming together more like a more
coherent Steve Lieberman album, some of the tracks on “Don’t Sit On
Tables” have a kernel of pop sensibility to them, especially the
Voltaire-esque “Love Is…Love Will”.
“Don’t Sit
on Tables” seems a little too bare, a little too weakly recorded, and as
such, there are only a few times on this disc where a complete feel
graces one of the tracks. The track in which all elements come into sync
would have to be “Come Back”, which incorporates a horn and dual-vocal
harmonies to completely detach the musical arrangement (beautiful) from
the down-to-earth and gritty lyrics (such as “And there’s a sink full of
dirty dishes…The dog staved to death/Cause I ate his food for lunch.”).
A problem that continually rears its ugly head on “Don’t Sit On Tables”
would have to be the large number of lyrics that Troy tries to cram into
each line – eir’s delivery of these heavy lines really create
interesting time signatures in the instrumental realm. The amount of
experimentation that Troy attempts on “Don’t Sit on Tables” is truly
amazing, and while every little aural googah doesn’t completely work,
Troy does have a great track record with eir’s experiments.
Overall,
there are brief flashes of brilliance on this disc, but most of the disc
ends up settling in the same anemic indie-rock that has been a constant
factor in the last few reviews. Troy has a much larger presence than
many of eir’s guitar-holding, coffee shop-playing compatriots. This disc
may have every component necessary to be compelling, but the simple fact
here is that I just can’t draw anything in the way of emotional
attachment to this album. This album is half a decade old; perhaps Troy
has evolved and matured since then.
Rating:
5.3/10
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Tracks: 20 Bucks, Love is…Love Will
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Neufutur
Troy
Lukkarila – Unsafe Structure
Troy
Lukkarila – Unsafe Structure / 2005 Lukalips / 14 Tracks /
http://www.lukalips.com / Reviewed 01 January 2006
A Spartan
sound is the hallmark of Lukkarila’s music on “Unsafe Structure”. The
vocals are strong but during tracks like “Scars of Love”, they do not
feel full unless there is a second set to compliment the first. It is
only when “Scars of Love” kicks into instrumentation that Lukkarila
begins to succeed; the classical instrumentation is enough to create a
sound that is genuinely creepy. This creepy sound continues with “Norris
Lake”, where a mournful moan adds onto the first set of vocals to create
something that is again many times more solid than a simple set of
vocals. The first real hit on “Unsafe Structure” comes during “Julie”,
which uses a sixties set of strings mixed with a very nineties type of
alternative instrumentation to come up with an interesting plea for
play.
The sound
of “Unsafe Structure” jumps from creepy to just weird during “The
Family”; the track may just be the only one to use pig noises that I’ve
ever heard. When Lukkarila is trying to create serious music, what
issues forth is relatively fun and listenable (this is evidenced during
tracks like “Don’t Give Up”. When Lukkarila begins to experiment,
listenability decreases and the experimentation does not yield the same
results as more serious experimental artists – like Khanate or Eno.
There are fourteen tracks on “Unsafe Structure” and I feel that the disc
would succeed easier if a few of the weaker performing ones were
dropped; there are middle of the ground type of songs like “Make Her
Happy” that do espouse a solid style of arrangement while not seeming
too vanilla. There seems to be quite a few times on “Unsafe Structure”
where Lukkarila gets into a groove that results in a few solid tracks,
but there are some confusing tracks strewn about that demolish any
momentum that the disc may have accumulated.
“Dignity”
seems to be a track that would be more suited for Voltaire than the
down-home, almost backwards looking music of Lukkarila; the over the top
vocals on this track pretty much are the only thing that stick out from
what is in reality a pretty normal track. Where “Don’t Sit On Tables”
strayed much closer to a formula than “Unsafe Structure”, this formula
may actually have helped Lukkarila out as this album seems disjointed
and without much in the way of a focus. Here’s hoping Lukkarila can
create something much more coherent for eir next album.
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Tracks: Carpenter, Lucy
Rating:
4.5/10
[JMcQ]
JoFo, I appreciate the review, even
if it's not very flattering. However, if I wrote CD reviews I
wouldn't go around admitting I didn't know who Kurt Weill was.
However, I can forgive you for not knowing who Daniel Johnston is,
even though there's a movie about him... and a tribute CD with people
like Tom Waits, Beck, Vic Chessnutt, and others... and he was Kurt
Cobain's favorite songwriter. - T.L.
RocknWorld
Troy Lukkarila - Unsafe Structure Review
By JoFo
This has been an excellent year for comedic material set to music, &
Troy Lukkarilas's latest is definitely a great way to start a new year.
Some of the music backing up the funny lyrics on this release sounds a
wee bit like the spookier elements of Jane's Addiction & Pink Floyd,
even though the 'official' T.L. stuff on his website claims he sounds
like a buncha people I've never heard of, like Daniel Johnston & Kurt
Weill. I'm sure a guy that sends out such hilariously self- deprecating
cover letters won't mind me not parroting the 'official' info on him.
Mostly it's just a weird bunch of songs, set to a weird type of music
that is only occasionally identifiable. Mostly, the lyrics are what make
this album worthy of mention. It's not a parody album like Weird Al
does, the themes are far too dark, dabbling in lyrical murders,
dismemberments, flashers & robbing old ladies. If Emo Phillips wrote
songs for a living, he might write stuff that sounded like this. When
TL's not being funny, he's being disconcertingly, shockingly, eye-
openingly honest. Mostly.
The political rants on here are neither funny nor novel, but manage to
tread out the same old tired mash all the lefty leaning trendy ones keep
trying to ram down the throats of the nation, ho hum. Other than that,
this is a noteworthy artist worth checking out, for the sake of
diversifying your CD collection with something really strange. The web
site is so worth spending some time on, www.Lukalips.com read his
lyrics, his rants; the guy is a scream. Buy his CD if you want something
weird & different.
original
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