Frogs


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The Frogs , 6/10
It's Only Right And Natural , 7/10
Racially Yours , 6/10
My Daughter The Broad , 6/10
Starjob , 7/10 (EP)
Bananimals , 6/10
Hopscotch Lollipop Sunday Surprise , 6/10
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Frogs are a duo from Wisconsin that lives a fiercely independent musical life. Poking fun at racial, sexual and religious dogmas, they have created a phenomenon of juvenile, caustic and lewd, irreverence similar to what Frank Zappa did in the 1960s.

Jimmy and Dennis Flemion started making music in 1978, but the first document was a self-released album, The Frogs (Frogs, 1988), an odd collection of pop tunes that homaged Donovan, Marc Bolan and especially Prince (C-R-Y, Funhouse, Layin' Down My Love 4 You).

For a record that was hardly played on the radio and that was almost impossible to find, It's Only Right And Natural (Homestead, 1989) established a world record, as at least Rosy Jack World and I Don't Care If You Disrespect Me became cult hits. This album wasn't even supposed to be an album: the duo improvised these songs while recording their first album, and hardly imagined that some day it would be released. It turned out this spontaneous lullabies were an enchanting new genre for the "lo-fi pop" generation.

The following, extraordinarily controversial, 25-song tour de force Racially Yours (4 Alarm, 2000) would be released only seven years after it was recorded (in 1993). The duo's racist lyrics mimick the stereotypes of minstrel shows from the turn of the century, while the music is sloppy, demented acoustic folk in the vein of David Peel (No More Holidays For King, Sorry That I Am White, Darkmeat 4 Sale).

Following the singles Now You Know You're Black and Here Comes Santa's Pussy, the compilation My Daughter The Broad (Matador, 1996) gave a 22-song survey of what had never been released. The Fugs' and David Peel's playful and guilty romps inspire the sarcastic and provocative parable God Is Gay, the hilarious I'm Sad The Goat Just Died Today and the shocking Who's Sucking on Granpa's Balls, a set that, in terms of dirty behavior, would make William Burroughs blush.

The EP Starjob (Scratchie, 1997) shows the duo is still in terrific form, with a survey of their art that is alternately ranting (I Only Play For Money), satirical (Lord Grunge) and, as usual, offensive (Raped).

The new decade gave the Frogs what the previous decade had taken away. Suddenly, the duo was actually being prolific. Bananimals (4 Alarm, 2000) is another batch of erotic jokes that would fit well in a French novel of the era of the Marquis DeSade. The duo cleaned up for Hopscotch Lollipop Sunday Surprise (Scratchie, 2001), their most accomplished and least criminal musical endeavour yet.

Unreleased home recordings surfaced on Count Your Blessingsz and Squirrel Bunny Jupiter Deluxe.

The 57-year Dennis Flemion drowned in 2012.

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