While on stage, Nobunny dresses (and undresses) in a bunny mask that is often accompanied by other odd stage-attire choices, such as raw meat, weaves, ball gags,firecrackers, panties, knee pads and coats made of trash.
From the wikipedia page of one of my favourite singer/songwriters, Nobunny. It may sound off putting in isolation.
Having seen him play once live, yeah there was some interesting attire but it all serves to add to his brand of Americana-dripping lo-fi punk with forays into classic rock and country. A punk rock hybrid of all things great about popular guitar music of the last 60 years.
While the man behind Nobunny, Justin Champlin, has been performing as Nobunny for over a decade (as well as being involved in other bands, notably the awesomely named Hunx and His Punx), recordings have been sporadic and varied, with many coming out as cassette release only.
While I love all of his music (and Nobunny loves me too), it’s one of those cassette releases that has stayed my favourite since I first heard a rip of it a few years back. The incredibly lo-fi Raw Romance is an album full of driving-pop jams leaning on the acoustic side but still full of all the fuzzy joy that I love about Nobunny. Fortunately you can find it on digital formats these days.
I wish I was better at putting into words why this album has been on heavy rotation for years. So instead of blabbing on further, here are a few of the best tunes from it. Also at the bottom I’ve put probably his most popular song, not from the album, it’s probably more conventionally recorded than anything on Raw Romance, but still equally parts rocking and charming (the video clip is also probably NSFW).
First song: Apple Tree – I love how this goes from sweet acoustic twee-pop to scuzzy guitar jam at about 2m20s.
Second song: I Am A Girlfriend (Demo) – the demo of one of my all time favourite songs this version is all twangy clap along fun and contains a suitably creepy sample from the 1985 movie “After Hours”.
Third song: Live, and much folkier, version of Your Mouth (from the album but not the album version).
Finally: Blow Dumb from the album First Blood.
