David Candy is a
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
of
Ian Svenonius
Ian F Svenonius is an American musician and singer of various Washington, D.C.-based punk bands including Nation of Ulysses, the Make-Up, Weird War, XYZ, Escape-ism, and Chain and the Gang. Between his numerous projects, Svenonius has releas ...
(formerly of
Nation of Ulysses
The Nation of Ulysses was an American punk rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in spring 1988 with four members. Originally known as simply "Ulysses," the first mark of the group consisted of Ian Svenonius on vocals and trumpet, Steve Kroner ...
,
The Make-Up, and currently
Weird War
Weird War, briefly known as Scene Creamers, is an indie rock band based out of Washington, D.C. The current lineup consists of Ian Svenonius on vocals, Michelle Mae on bass guitar, Alex Minoff on guitar, and Sebastian Thomson on drums.
Weird W ...
). Only one album was released under the name David Candy, ''Play Power''. The character of David Candy was part of a series of "Magazine-Style Records" conceived by Mike Alway (produced by Jez Butler and John Austin), which included other imaginary acts such as
Death by Chocolate
Death by Chocolate is a colloquial descriptive or marketing term for various cakes and desserts that feature chocolate, especially dark chocolate or cocoa, as the primary ingredient. The phrase is trademarked in some countries, and the dessert ...
, Maria Napoleon, Mild Euphoria and Lollipop Train.
The David Candy persona is that of a pretentious, over-opinionated, egotistical, self-absorbed, pseudo-intellectual hipster who has perhaps spent too long alone, absorbed in The Doors' American Prayer. This choice of character traits may have been a form of self-mockery by Svenonius, or perhaps a commentary on the personalities of the indie rock scene in general. Much like the assumed personas and personalities of all of Svenonius' bands and projects (see the "biographies" of Nation of Ulysses, Cupid Car Club, The Make-Up, and Weird War), a make-believe mythos surrounds the character of David Candy.
''Play Power''
''Play Power'' is the only album from the fictional musician David Candy, aka
Ian Svenonius
Ian F Svenonius is an American musician and singer of various Washington, D.C.-based punk bands including Nation of Ulysses, the Make-Up, Weird War, XYZ, Escape-ism, and Chain and the Gang. Between his numerous projects, Svenonius has releas ...
.
Three of the tracks, "Listen to the Music," "Bad Bad Boy," and "Lullaby From 'Rosemary's Baby'" are
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s from obscure film soundtracks.
"Listen to the Music" is from the 1968 teen comedy-satire ''
Wild in the Streets
''Wild in the Streets'' is a 1968 American comedy-drama film directed by Barry Shear and starring Christopher Jones, Hal Holbrook, and Shelley Winters. Based on the short story "The Day It All Happened, Baby!" by Robert Thom, it was distribu ...
'', "Bad Bad Boy" is a cover from the 1967 British film ''Privilege'', and "Lullaby from 'Rosemary's Baby' " is a cover from
Roman Polanski's ''
Rosemary's Baby''.
The instrumentals on the album are reminiscent of 60's
pop and
psychedelic
Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...
music, while Svenonius/Candy's vocal delivery is primarily
spoken word
Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
in the same vein as
beat poetry
The Beat Generation was a literary subculture movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by Silent Generatione ...
. The lyrical content of the vocals is often a pseudo-intellectual rant, meandering between overly-heady topics such as
historical materialism
Historical materialism is the term used to describe Karl Marx's theory of history. Marx locates historical change in the rise of class societies and the way humans labor together to make their livelihoods. For Marx and his lifetime collaborat ...
,
Suprematism
Suprematism (russian: Супремати́зм) is an early twentieth-century art movement focused on the fundamentals of geometry (circles, squares, rectangles), painted in a limited range of colors. The term ''suprematism'' refers to an abstra ...
, and the "rampant public licentiousness" of
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. The album was written and performed by Ian Svenonius, Jez Butler, John Austin and Matt Hulse.
Track listing
#"Playpower (David Candy Theme)"
#"Incomprehensibly Yours"
#"Listen to the Music"
#"Redfuchsiatamborine&gravel"
#"Bad Bad Boy"
#"Diary of a Genius"
#"Lullaby From 'Rosmary's Baby' "
References
External links
*
www.boum.co.uk: Jez ButlerMatt Hulse
{{Authority control
Candy, David
2001 albums