The Guestlist w/ Aaron Eash

It's no secret around here that we have a pretty big soft spot in our hearts for all things Giggle Party. Not just because their sound appeals to our dual nature (the Yo Gabba Gabba sound meets semi-obscene adult-themed lyrics) or because their artwork is always so spot on, but because there isn't another live show in town quite like it. Really, how many other bands get banned from clubs for being too wild/messy?

But the side project Mini and the Bear is where guitarist Aaron Eash really gets to shine --albeit as a drummer. The two-piece have a harder/faster/noisier pure punk sound than do Giggle Party, as evidenced by their recently-released EP. So much so that Giggle Party bassist Jason Reichl told me, "...honestly even if I didn't know these guys I would think their hard jams and screaming was top notch. It's full of energy and is just plain fun."

As it turns out Eash is also a pretty prolific writer. But unlike other artists known for gargantuan back catalogs like Prince or Rivers Cuomo, Eash has decided to do something pretty unprecedented by pulling back the curtain on some of the deeply hidden gems not intended for others to hear.

"5 Songs No One Else Was Ever Meant To Hear!" by Aaron Eash

Since the age of 12 my main hobby in life has been writing and recording songs. Specifically, writing and recording BAD songs. I sincerely believe that my best friend from childhood and I have the ability to appreciate bad music better than anyone else in the universe. We have a habit of writing brilliantly terrible songs and then showing them to our 4 friends, who are consistently pissed off that we insist they listen to and love our shit nuggets (possibly the reason we only have 4 friends). So without further adieu, from the depths of my 425 song catalog - 5 songs no one else was ever meant to hear!


5. This Band Will Self-Destruct - Born to Be the High Five Listen/Downlad

Do you remember the instant you figured out what you were put on Earth to do? What you were... BORN TO DO????


4. The El Destructos - Dance Off Listen/Download

Being raised in an upper middle class household in the Midwest just filled me with so much RAGE!!! This song really, really captures what it was like to be raised in such a tragic, harsh environment.


3. The El Destructos - Olympics! Unity! and Progress! Listen/Download

Something special was in the air during the 2004 summer Olympic games: our creativity. With the spirit of international coop-eratition flourishing, we knew that the Olympics were pushing the world toward a better place through things like synchronized diving and little girl gymnastics. We were so excited recording this song that we couldn't always stay on the beat or remember the lyrics, but the FEELING gets across and that's what's important!!!!!!!! in the jingle jangle morning you'll hear this song in your brains.


2. The El Destructos - Mad Scientist Listen/Download

This is the part where I get really serious and introspective about a really creepy song... I wrote "Mad Scientist" at a time when I was seriously considering getting my PhD and also had a lot of the typical love, loss, and life stuff that goes on during the latter years of college. At the time I really thought it was just a silly song sung in a creepy voice, but when I listen to it now, I think I was saying a lot more than I initially realized. Sort of the autobiography that I never lived...


1. Biilborbillb - The Undergo Undertone Listen/Download

This song is from "The Grand Happenstance Crappenstance Emporium," the album my BFFFFF and I made for the rpm challenge 2 years ago. We wrote and recorded most of the album in 3 days over the internet... it's a concept album about a guy named Monsieur Malango who was born in the jungles of Africa. After an assassin tidal wave rode up a river and wiped out his village, he left town to sail the seas, live a life loved well, and eventually settled down to open a restaurant named "Monsieur Malango's Five Star Feeding Frenzy." This song takes place just after MM's heart has been broken by circumstance; he fell in love with an Amazon princess and her father refused his offer of marriage! OH NO!!!

Seriously, this album is one of my proudest creative achievements; you can listen to the whole thing here.


*Lightning round!!! The SubEx MEGAMIX!!! Listen/Download

This is the part where I mash 7 songs into 5 minutes! Ready??? GO!!!

What? You don't like that I couldn't take 425 songs representing my life from puberty on and narrow it down to the top 5? Well why don't you try choosing the top 1.176% of YOUR children??? Not so easy, is it? Dick.

(Tracklist: Dancing Town; Devil Disco (club remix); Cheese Factory; Crest of Life; Lost in the Jungle; Streets and Beats; Hammer of the Gods; some more Dancing Town)


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