TWANG BANG
Kicking the Toybox (Twang Bang)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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Chicago's Twang Bang redefine quirky on their second CD, Kicking the Toybox. Chicagoans Itzi Rothowski and Redd Klaatz are Twang Bang, and they've got guts. They play some of the quirkiest music around. Itzi's guitar and Redd's drums mix old-fashioned swing together with double-strength espresso, turning it into "Cappuccino Daddy," and the raucous mayhem of "Lookout" is probably taken from their touring in Tokyo, or a least on Chicago's Dan Ryan Expressway during rush hour. They've won awards in Japan, been featured on NPR, and Dr. Demento included Twang Bang on a "Best of" disc. Last December, The New York Times Sunday Magazine discovered Twang Bang their all-ages gig at the Hideout. Weird, but worth it.

© 2001 - Eric Steiner