Off-beat, off-key, incredible, inspiring

May 11, 2018 7:27 PM

I love this cover of Route 66 by Yo La Tengo. A child named Lila sings while Yo La Tengo backs her up on Yo La Tengo is Murdering the Classics. I saw a superhero band in LA at the Mar Vista Farmer's Market a few years ago, where a number of parents and their children dressed up as superheroes and made music and sang songs. I am looking for other things with this aesthetic. If you could direct me to the superhero band that would be great. Thanks!
posted by GregorWill to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

The Langley Schools Music Project is along these lines, and pretty amazing. it's circa 1977 from British Columbia. I find their version of "Desperado" to be heartbreaking and wonderful. Other songs on the record include covers of Wings, the Beatles, David Bowie, Barry Manilow, and Klaatu.
posted by baseballpajamas at 7:52 PM on May 11, 2018 [7 favorites]

philosophy of the world by the shaggs.
posted by noloveforned at 8:55 PM on May 11, 2018 [2 favorites]

Speaking of Yo La Tengo, they did a cover of Daniel Johnston's sweet Speeding Motorcycle. The magic came with an impromptu collaboration - over the phone.

On YouTube and Spotify.
posted by maya at 9:18 PM on May 11, 2018 [2 favorites]

don't know if I'm taking this off in the wrong direction, and maybe it's just me anyway, but that Daniel Johnston version makes me think of Crush on You by Jad Fair and Teenage Fanclub - which in turn takes me off down a whole Modern Lovers kind of road

sorry, that's probably a bit of a derail - but I love this thread already & wanted to be part of it
posted by rd45 at 2:38 AM on May 12, 2018

Sorry to also just recommend more Yo La Tengo, but have you heard their various versions of Sun Ra's "Nuclear War", one of which has kids singing on it? It rules.
posted by ITheCosmos at 5:11 AM on May 12, 2018

The older covers by this father-daughter duo might qualify.
posted by bricoleur at 6:24 AM on May 12, 2018

The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players (husband, wife and daughter write songs to accompany found photo slides)

Kids of Widney High (group composed of students at a special ed high school in LA)
posted by Gortuk at 6:55 AM on May 12, 2018

Could superhero band have been Aquabats? Googled them plus "Mar Vista", found this.
posted by mean square error at 7:28 AM on May 12, 2018

Ignore me if this is totally off base, but if you're looking for the child's participation in the art, you might enjoy A Windy Day or Moonbird or other films by John and Faith Hubley. I might have just been primed psychologically by your example (John and Faith are the parents of YLT's Georgia Hubley and animator Emily Hubley, whose daughter is the one singing in that clip), but the films are a beautiful little collaboration that really celebrate the creative faculty of children.
posted by theweasel at 2:28 PM on May 12, 2018

In 1995, John Darnielle & Rachel Ware (The Mountain Goats) were playing live on a radio show in Holland, when he decided to cover the song "Lonesome Surprise" by Refrigerator. The DJ made an international phone call to Refrigerator's lead singer Allen Callaci so he could sing. Allan was on his lunch break at work, but he really got into it! Here's the recording, which has that messed-up-but-compelling vibe you're looking for.
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 8:45 PM on May 14, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks very much for all your suggestions. I enjoyed going through them all.

But I found the actual band! Going through my things I found a flyer I had picked up.

The SuperBroke Brass and Tin and Strings Electric Marching Band Ensemble!

Here are a few YouTube links from their facebook page:

Superbroke Manifesto

A live Superbroke concert from the Abbot Kinney festival in Venice 2013

And they are everything I remember and more! Though the kids seem to have grown up.

Hope anyone reading this enjoys!

And here is their written Manifesto, because it is so awesome:

UNITED IN THE ATTEMPT TO UPHOLD THE RIGHTS OF EVERY CITIZEN OF THIS EARTH TO CREATE, TO FREELY PURSUE, AND TO FULFILL HIS OR HER DESTINY IN THIS LIFE, AND ALL OTHERS, AND IN ORDER THAT EACH CITIZEN OF THIS EARTH MIGHT FREELY ENDEAVOR TO FULLY LIVE IN THE NOW EACH AND EVERY BEING IS AVAILED AMPLE SPACE AND OPPORTUNITY TO DANCE THE DANCE OF NEWANDEXCITINGTHINGS WITH THE SUPERFLOW OF THE UNIVERSE, WHOM WE ADORE, THE LEAGUE OF SUPERHEROES KNOWN AS THE SUPERBROKE BRASS AND TIN AND STRINGS ELECTRIC MARCHING BAND ENSEMBLE PLEDGES TO BATTLE THE FORCES OF OPPRESSION, DECEPTION, CORRUPTION, ETC. COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS THE EVIL ANTI-GROOVE, WHO IS THE BANE OF ALL THINGS CREATIVE.

WE STAND FOR TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THE ELEVATION OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT. WE BELIEVE IN THE SUPERFLOW OF THE UNIVERSE AND IN THE PURSUIT OF ONE'S DESTINY AS A MEANS OF PARTICIPATING IN THIS SUPERFLOW. WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF LAUGHTER, SPONTANEITY, AND ANY GESTURE OF LOVE AS A MENAS OF EQUALIZING THE ANTI-GROOVE'S NEFARIOUS INFLUENCE IN THIS WORLD.

WE BELIEVE IN LOOSENING THE SPHINCTER OF THE WORLD.

WE PLEDGE OUR ASSISTANCE AND OFFER OUR SUPERPOWERS WHEREVER THE EVIL ANTI-GROOVE PREPETUATES INJUSTICE, OPPRESSES THE HUMAN SPIRIT, OR OTHERWISE CONNIVES TO DISRUPT THE NATURAL AND PRECIOUS FLOW OF THE UNIVERSE, AMEN

If you were a superhero (we're all superheroes!), what would your special powers be? How would you use your special powers to make this world a better place? What would your superhero name be? Write or draw your answers here, then go and make this world a better place.
posted by GregorWill at 9:28 AM on August 4, 2018 [1 favorite]