If It's Too Loud...

One of my favorite things about March are all of the RPM challenge albums that start popping up in the first half of the month. The first is from Death and The Poetess, aka Blake Girndt (The I Want You, Walter Sickert & The Army of Toys) and Jojo Lazar (Burlesque Poetess, Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys). The duo just released their first offering, On Ghoulie Isle . They describe their music as "crypt-folk," but it's much more fun than gloomy. As you would expect from... well... everything about this project, it's quite odd. The album is quite bare bones, with the only instruments credited as being used are a classical guitar, ukulele, flute, and a "tiny 1990's yamaha keyboard." As fun as it is, there is, of course, a dark feel, especially in a song like "Split the Lark." As their Bandcamp describes the album: " It's as though the crypt-folk mourning-wear fancying duo was dropped on a Coney Island-esque boardwalk in ...

Photo via Facebook The Burlesque Poetess, aka Joanna "Jojo" Lazar of Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys (ukulele and multi-instrumentalist), may have a solo album coming out relatively soon based on some posts on her Facebook page . Earlier today, she posted a solo cover of "Just a Gigolo," best known from Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, The Village People, and David Lee Roth (which is how we all know it, admit it).  The Burlesque Poetess' version is ultra-stripped down, with just her voice and ukulele. It's a really cute and fun version, and even if you're not a fan of The Army of Toys, chances are you're going to like this version. You can listen to The Burlesque Poetess' cover of "Just a Gigolo" below. For more on her, check out her Facebook and website . Also, don't forget to check out Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys' website while you're at it.