Down with the Lounge-ness

Today I heard one of the funniest albums I've gotten in ages, "Tuxicity" by Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine.

You may have heard some of his music if you've seen what they call the "f***ing huge" movie, "Dawn of the Dead" (the remake).

Lounge Against the Machine is a cover band - and they cover metal, rap and alterna-rock rearranged as lounge music.

No, I'm not kidding.

"Down With the Sickness," the song that played over the montage-of-boredom scene in DOTD, was originally done by Disturbed, and if you listened to their version (over the closing credits) you'd know exactly what I mean.

It's so ridiculous, it made me laugh hysterically all the way to work (I was playing the CD in the car).

Richard Cheese has about four more albums, and I'm tempted to buy them all. The only problem is, if you haven't heard the originals, the lounge versions aren't half as funny. But if you have...!

The Cheese stuff reminds me of the worst CD I've ever heard: Pat Boone's "In a Metal Mood" cover album. Very similar music, the difference is, Cheese is trying to be funny. Boone wasn't.

When I reviewed that Boone CD, I remember writing that when I played it out loud, Michelle burst out laughing and Morgan (RIP, puppy!) started whimpering.

We passed that Boone CD around the office for weeks, until somebody either lost it or (yikes!) took it home for keeps. It was just disgracefully bad, these big-band/lounge covers of metal songs like "Paradise City" and "Smoke on the Water."

But Cheese just has this tone about him that tells you from the get-go that he's being a goof, and his cheerful swearing or random riffing (when covering Britney Spears' "Crazy," he basically winds up pointing out she's hot and he'd do her) just add to the surrealism. I mean, a lounge version of "Baby Got Back"?

Strange how it's all how you take yourself, isn't it? A fine line between parody and just straight-up humiliation. It's no wonder Zack Snyder (director of DOTD) fought to use it.

Links:
• Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine
• "Dawn of the Dead," the 2004 version
• Pat Boone's fall from grace into metal
• An interview with Zack Snyder, which mentions the DOTD music

I can't think of any witty closer here. I miss my dog.