I Know I’m An Alien – I Know I’m An Alien And I Want To Go Home…
5.4.16 by Mike Haley

On a standard occasion, one must put a coin in the slot of a strip mall spaceship to hear music like I Know I’m An Alien. This tape from late 2015, with the full title of “I Know I’m An Alien And I Want To Go Home Sometimes But Then I Remember I Gotta Try And Understand You”, is persistently jovial, but also a little bit “off”. A steady serfdom to bugged out, Weenish cartoonism, contagious fringe rock, and dingy weirdness. It all makes me think of a 1-star Chuck E. Cheese’s bootleg joint that opened up just a little too quick after a flood/fire combination took them out 3 weeks ago. But Teddy, the night manager, his cousin Ray “knows drywall” so they redid the whole place themselves. The carpet was soaked AND burnt, but is somehow still sticky to the touch. Layers of pizza ooze and “Slarpee’s” must have burrowed deep into the abyss of fibers. They didn’t even throw out the old pizza. It’s called “before flood pizza” and costs 50 cents less. Rejected mall cops dance in pathetic Sonic The Hedgehog costumes for 6-9 year old’s jacked up on Mountain Dew flavored pepperoni.

Sixteen cuts make up this gonzo-pop jukebox, each with their own coltish antics. Rowdy bass lines. Synthy kookiness. Conehead vocal stylings. It’s batty, man. Imagine Teddy’s band playing a gig through the water-damaged PA system while video games act up, ski ball goes haywire, and a gaggle of piss stained brats attack the token guy. The tracks exist in that perfect, on-the-fritz zone, where you don’t know exactly what will pop up next. A toy piano cover of Chariots Of Fire by someone’s pudgy newphew, Spanish guitar, and a globby softvapour drill all make their way into the fray. This is good time music, for nice people.

Low DPI cover art and 1998 font work only helps further I Know I’m An Alien’s nutty agenda. Full support over here. I hope they get back home one day. In the meantime, you can pick up a copy of this cassette, which is limited to 50, from their Bandcamp.