Like if Booker T. and Jenny Ondioline gave birth to the Woolly Bully

April 28, 2010 6:03 PM

FarfisaFilter: I love songs with prominent Farfisa/Vox Continental/Musitron organ parts, the crazier the better. 96 Tears, Rock Lobster, Runaway, and recently, MGMT's Song for Dan Treacy. What are some other (more recent) rock tracks with great combo organ parts?

(The more obscure or recent the better. Assume that I know about The Doors, Iron Butterfly, the Strawberry Alarm Clock, all the big top-ten 60s songs -- I'm looking more for something that might feature Pat Irwin rather than Ray Manzarek.)

posted by eschatfische to Media & Arts (21 answers total)

I don't know where they fall on the recent/obscure axis for you (I loved them in college about 20 -- gulp! -- years ago), but the first band that came to mind for me was the Inspiral Carpets, who used a lot of Farfisa. The Charlatans have always been pretty organ-heavy, too, though I think they leaned more on the Hammond side of the equation.
posted by scody at 6:10 PM on April 28, 2010

Stereolab! Their first few albums and EPs were full of weird old organs. (There's even a track on Refried Ectoplasm called Farfisa, for heaven's sake.) I'd start with the original Switched On compilation, or maybe Transient Random Noise Bursts (With Announcements), and go from there.
posted by xil at 6:17 PM on April 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

Something in this thread may interest you.

also, Suicide / Half Alive is a delight.
posted by The_Auditor at 6:21 PM on April 28, 2010

The Monks used one, but very, very distorted.
posted by scruss at 6:29 PM on April 28, 2010

Response by poster: There was a combo organ thread just a month ago!? I didn't search for it because I couldn't imagine people were asking about this. Good thing my question's a little different, that I'm looking for more recent material.

Stereolab's a great answer, but alas, I already love them. More like that, please.

Specific track mentions encouraged.
posted by eschatfische at 6:42 PM on April 28, 2010

Electrelane scratches this itch for me sometimes, but they're a little more like Can and Jenny Ondioline givng birth to, like, Loveless, you know?
posted by pullayup at 6:47 PM on April 28, 2010

New Colony Six - Breakthrough
Electrelane
posted by rhizome at 7:03 PM on April 28, 2010

Squeeze: Farfisa Beat.
posted by jet_silver at 7:19 PM on April 28, 2010

You, sir, need to acquaint yourself with Jonathan Fire*Eater
posted by kaseijin at 7:44 PM on April 28, 2010

(They used a Farfisa Fast Five, by the way)
posted by kaseijin at 7:47 PM on April 28, 2010

Elvis Costello Radio, Radio, Pump it up, and lots of his stuff from that era (around 1978).
posted by umbú at 8:09 PM on April 28, 2010

Some of the members of Jonathan Fire*Eater went on to form The Walkmen who aren't exactly obscure, but make some decent Farfisa-containing indie rock.

Clinic's "Walking With Thee"? Kill organ riff.
posted by bardic at 8:24 PM on April 28, 2010

Oops. I didn't see the "the obscurer the better" qualification. Elvis doesn't fit within that category.

I think afro-pop is a great direction to go in: "So I Si Sa" by the Super Boiro Band, Super Biton Band, Mulatu Astatke, Fela.
posted by umbú at 8:29 PM on April 28, 2010

it's a Hammond, but the organ bit in Destroyer's "Leopard of Honor" is huuuge.

60s west african highlife guys loved the ol Farfisa, check Alhaji K. Frimpong.

Spiritualized! the organ on Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space is so far out.

King Khan & the Shrines lay on the Mysterians organ toots thick and it's glorious. maybe not real Farfisa, but coulda fooled me.
posted by tealsocks at 8:41 PM on April 28, 2010

The Lyres
posted by stuartmm at 8:53 PM on April 28, 2010

Electrelane's I Love You My Farfisa.

I think all of their albums feature the organ, too.
posted by griphus at 9:03 PM on April 28, 2010

Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited.... surf guitars, a Farfisa organ, Moogs... and all goodness.
posted by kaseijin at 9:22 PM on April 28, 2010

The Fleshtones! They slathered on layers of Farfisa organ like an albino nudist applies sunscreen.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:51 PM on April 28, 2010

Caesars - Jerk It Out.
posted by iviken at 7:24 AM on April 29, 2010

It's not a Farfisa, but Quasi comes to mind. Sam Coomes plays a vintage organ called a Rocksichord which their entire sound is built on.
posted by escapeschool at 4:02 AM on April 30, 2010

Late to the thread, but if you're still reading...stop reading and go listen to Mr. Quintron.
posted by neroli at 7:04 AM on May 6, 2010