Country : Russia Label : Gitaracula Genres and styles : Rock / Surf Year : 2020

Don’t Say Cheese

· by Rupert Bottenberg

Russia’s leading contribution to the retro reverb revival of the last few decades is Messer Chups, which is tremolo tsar Oleg Gitaracula and his rhythm section, bassist Zombierella and drummer Rockin’ Eugene – a pair that are almost literal incarnations of The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show’s Boris and Natasha. 

Their latest of many albums was released on the first of May, which would have been like the Fourth of July for these comrades from Saint Petersburg, were we still in the Cold War era. That’s the antiquated zeitgeist the trio wallow in, though it isn’t Soviet kitsch that turns their cranks, but rather all-American Atomic Age trash culture – particularly vintage horror movies.

Funny thing about Messer Chups is how much more conventional they’ve become over the 20 years they’ve been at it. Their early records were rife with snatches of B-movie dialogue, Halloween sound effects, and strange instrumentation. They were like the creature-feature complement to the kitsch retrofuturism of Man or Astro-man? in a drive-in double bill. Both bands treated the proverbial rock ’n’ roll garage as a science lab.

Don’t Say Cheese sticks tight to straightforward surf rock, tossing in in a bit of burlesque R&B grind (“Cadabra Box Pandora Strip”), and several curious covers. These include a variant on the prototypical synth-pop tune “Popcorn”, which they’ve covered before, and a surprisingly beautiful instrumental of Chris Isaak’s tearjerker “Wicked Game”. Two originals are reprised with vocals c/o Zombierella, whose spooky Slavic femme-fatale affectations are a definite plus. 

Latest 360 Content

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Sparks – MAD!

Sparks – MAD!

“Hiroshima, mon amour”: An Evening to Remember

“Hiroshima, mon amour”: An Evening to Remember

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Festival des Saveurs | Closing With Reggae

Festival des Saveurs | Closing With Reggae

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season

Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season

Piknic 3: A Little Bit of Everything Under the Sun

Piknic 3: A Little Bit of Everything Under the Sun

Cazzu – Latinaje

Cazzu – Latinaje

Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

SMCQ | In memoriam Jocelyn Morlock

SMCQ | In memoriam Jocelyn Morlock

Abbey Road at Festival Classica

Abbey Road at Festival Classica

Mira Choquette – Hier encore

Mira Choquette – Hier encore

Jared Dunn; Anna Gorecka – Gorecki’s World of the Piano

Jared Dunn; Anna Gorecka – Gorecki’s World of the Piano

Subscribe to our newsletter