“What’s your favorite band?”
–A question that I get asked quite frequently, yet my reply often leaves people feeling puzzled and confused. Of course my natural answer is VUNDABAR (with all the intended enthusiasm)! This hidden gem of a band is unlike any other that I’ve listened to, with their overall lighthearted seriousness, self-aware cliche sadness, and carelessly fun live performances. Vundabar has it all, and it is in fact quite wonderful.
Vundabar is based out of Boston, Massachusetts and consists of Brandon Hagen, Grayson Kirtland, and Drew McDonald. Their first album Antics, was released in 2013 and their most recent album Smell Smoke, was released in 2018. This may likely sound like a nobody band to you, but this by no means insinuates that they shouldn’t be paid attention to. After all, the best finds are the hidden ones. So, I encourage you all to keep an open mind and ear here on out.
One of the most blaring and lovable characteristics of this band is their funky, upbeat, and catchy way of performing music. The lead singer, Brandon Hagen, sings with a calm and controlled voice which sporadically dips in all sorts of directions and registers, without leaving a remnant of tension. This bizarre contrast is a satisfying opposition, which provides an essential basis for the structure of their music.
On top of this, Vundabar’s lyrics seem nonsensical at times and feature playful scenarios, such as a man losing a hat, getting over his loss, seeing everyone else wearing his same hat, and then later buying the same hat all over again. This simple instance represents consumerism, materialism, as well as conformity in our society as the song “A Man Loses a Hat” mentions “But then I lost the hat/ Where does that leave me at?/ I know I am only what I show.” These lines directly question the value that we place on material items in relation to our own worth and self expression, in a “silly” yet effective way. Whether or not this specific analysis was implied, Vundabar doesn’t hesitate to question society’s norms and conventional human behavior.
Another aspect within Vundabar’s music is their humorous, yet dark self-awareness of themselves in their lyrics. One lyric that perfectly exemplifies this is from the song “Holy Toledo” as Hagen whines in a childish, mocking voice, “Bullet in the brain ‘cause my life’s a cliché.” This statement in itself is, you guessed it–a cliché. The rest of this song is otherwise imaginative and playful, with its incoherent storytelling and hallucinogenic, strung together type of style, “I went to the store today/Met a purple John he said/You’ve got eyes in your head.” I hold a dear admiration for this song because it was the first Vundabar song that I listened to and I immediately fell in love with its incomplete and quirky nature.
If you want to listen to something explorative and sad and fun, make sure you check out Vundabar’s website and listen to their songs linked below!!!
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