Being considerably young, and once "hip" in the music scene, I might be able to offer some insight into this discussion...The abovementioned website deals with a band called "Insane Clown Posse." Their music is odd - some kind of mix between heavy metal, rap, rock...they don't sound particularly bad (of course, that's an opinion), but their lyrics have virtually no value. True, I've only really heard one album - the album my older brother incessantly played while driving me to school every day, and that album mostly screamed about boogie men and something about a huge event happening once the band "dropped the seventh joker card," or some kind of gibberish.

ICP seems to be a band about yelling, devaluing and belittling women, and the darker side of carnivals. If you want a surreal, decidedly different musical experience, maybe give them a listen. But don't expect anything prolific - they're about as eloquent as most other mainstream hybrid groups today.

[This message has been edited by fascination (edited 01-17-2003).]

Thanks for the insight, fascination. I take it we're talking fansite, or maybe this is their official website?!

re ICP, I saw them interviewed on MTV a while back and they pretty much dismissed themselves as ridiculous.

It was shortly after a string of Columbine-like shootings, and they were one of the bands being unjustly scrutinized because of their lyrics.

They pointed out that they were just a couple of guys in clown makeup--how could anyone take them seriously?

On one hand, I thought that was refreshing. On the other hand, if you as an artist can't even take yourself seriously, why bother at all? Oh, right--the MONEY. It's amazing what people (of all ages, not just teens) will glom on to when they're looking for something to believe in.

Myself, I was (still am) a huge Oingo Boingo fan. They were well known for their annual Halloween concerts in Southern California. I would have been devastated if Danny Elfman opened the show by saying, "Hey, by the way, all the stuff we say in our songs? It's all BS, just an act. We don't believe a word of it. Enjoy the show."

I am beginning to think...that we have some folk here who are actually from the gosh- for -real, century traveling 'Cooger and Dark's Carnival' of... Something Wicked This Way Comes. Perhaps...from the House of Mirrors??

Okay, so for they're recent album... The Wraith: Shanger La, in the intro they speak about "Something dark and wicked this way comes" Next year they plan releasing the The Wraith's exhibith of Hell's Pit.

In the House of Mirrors duplicates multiply stretching back into darkness, each more distorted and removed from reality than the last.