MP3: The Royal Tribesmen – “Me and Mr. Kong”
The joyously infectious “Mr and Mr. Kong” introduces us to The Royal Tribesmen, a new indie-pop group from Chicago. The track features streaks of distorted synth-bass reminiscent of The Flaming Lips, and bouncy key-guitar interplay reminiscent of Brit-pop — as well as New-Wave acts like Squeeze. Essentially, this is a smörgåsbord of lovable pop-rock influences, particularly those receptive toward marimba-like key sprinkles, ska-like guitar repetition, and electro-pop tendencies. “Me and Mr. Kong” is the opening track on their debut Digital Sneez, which features fellow highlights like “Center Ice” and “Lazarus of the Beauty Culture” (below), the latter of which brilliantly recalls the colorful prog-rock of Bryan Scary. I also like when it ends with a MIDI moment that provides some Zelda nostalgia:
