Song Of The Day 8/21/2014: Pookiesnackenburger - "Pyramids"

If It Ain't Stiff...: Trying to figure out the angle behind Pookiesnackenburger, aside from giving Hoobastank a very unfortunate precedent in foppishly awkward band names. I do know they were from Brighton. They had ambitions towards comedy in the beginning, finding use for an accordion in caricatural Middle Eastern settings. They scored a minor hit with "Just One Cornetto," a cover of the "O Sole Mio"-derived ad jingle for the weirdly influential British ice cream novelty. (Very similar to the U.S. Drumstick, but not a total replication.) Pookiesnackenberger even merited an entry in the Urban Dictionary, though it was not a flattering one: "1. Awful early 80's retro/busker band from Brighton UK. No chart success but toured frequently, usually supporting anyone represented by a shit record label prepared to have this f****t dribble on as warm-up." (Also: "2. Utterly puke-prompting augmentation of pooka or pookie as generic term of endearment. Grounds for divorce.")

Whatever their crimes against humanity, Pookiesnackenberger found kindred spirits at Stiff Records, who freed many of their singles out into the wild including "Shis Kebab," "Turkish Bath," "Happy Cajun," "Hot Dog" and the not nearly salacious enough "King Of Swingers." I have some affection for the roundabout point of "Pyramids," if for no other reason than it offers the sage maxim "A fly can't bird, but a bird can fly."

For further reading: Members of Pookiesnackenberger eventually went on to create the hugely successful dance/performance art franchise Stomp, which roughly did for garbage can lids what Starlight Express did for roller skates, or what The Book Of Mormon did for clip-on ties.