With a major-label distribution deal right out of the chute, Candy Butchers seemed destined to follow in the footsteps of other smart, song-focused, melody-driven, ’90s outfits like Ben Folds Five and Fountains Of Wayne before the proverbial window of opportunity slammed shut circa 1997. Since then, seemingly unflappable leader Mike Viola has kept plugging away, fending off adversity in his personal life (his first wife died of cancer) and overall public indifference to get his music out there, whether as himself, under the Candy Butchers moniker, on film soundtracks or elsewhere. Viola’s new solo release, Electro De Perfecto (Good Morning Monkey/Hornblow), is a slickly produced celebration of a versatile songwriter in his prime, one who deserves a little more love. Viola will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Viola: Mingering Mike is an imaginary soul superstar who self-released 50 imaginary soul records during a 10-year period in the ’60s and ’70s. His records were all fake, all made out of cardboard with elaborate artwork and grooves drawn onto the cardboard. Some had gatefolds and liner notes. Each one is one of a kind. This body of work was discovered by a Dori Hadar, a record digger and DJ digging through records. Hadar put together the back story and mythology of MM in a book published by Princeton Architectural Press. I was given the book by my friend Tim Adams for one of my birthdays (not the one when we all dressed up as monsters and took ecstasy). He thought I would identify with Mike’s indie fixe on making records, on his tenacity and his prolific and totally put-together visions of possibility beyond the limits of his upbringing. A real dreamer who dreamed the long dream. A superkid. His artwork and clips of his a capella songs recorded in the ’60s are all online now. But the book is worth the 25 bucks, to have and to hold. Something physical, an artifact somebody else will find someday long after you thought it was a good idea to read it.
Video after the jump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKBGYM-WNgw
