Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Monkey Boy

The Aquatic Ape Theory

Label:

174
mrivers by Martin Rivers April 1st, 2001

For the Monkey Boy virgins amongst you, here's a quick low-down on the trio: two bassists, no guitars, one vocalist drummer. They combine blues, punk, jazz and something else entirely, have a tendency shout a lot, and sound a bit like an army of chainsaws on heat.

As well as having every song introduced by a computer generated voice, opening track Fish for a Quid features Keith Arthur's guide to economical fishing. I don't know why. I don't think Monkey Boy know why. But it just works damnit. In Deadmanjones the band somehow manage to balance ten second long gaps, groovy laid back jazz beats and demonic screaming in with their already baboonish (it’s a real word!) sound, creating what basically amounts to the coolest music this side of Planet of the Apes: The Musical.

Throw in Journey to the God of Monk Rock, a nine minute long instrumental with five bass lines (thanks to Rothko lending a hand), then consider the fact that the potentially suicidal epic track actually sounds good, and you begin to realise Monkey Boy's underlying talent. If this single is anything to go by (and it is, I'm told), expect their debut album to be released this summer amidst a flurry of frenzied press hype, sold out shows and high pitched chimpanzee-impersonating fans.

  • 10
    Martin Rivers's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing



Left-arrow

Manic Street Preachers, My Vitriol at Brixton Academy, Lambeth, Fri 30 Mar

Mobback

The Vines at Camden Electric Ballroom, Camden, Thu 19 Feb

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025

  • 106149
  • news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145

    news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143
  • news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141

    news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139
  • Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138

    Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137
  • Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
MORE


    Festival Review


    An alternative music festival or a clap-a-long-...

  • 92375
  • In Depth


    One-Hit Wonders: Our 12 all-time favourites

  • 95806

    feature


    The Icarus Line: a perpetual appetite for destr...

  • 24537
  • Mixtape


    Mixtape #18: No Age

  • 41134

    feature


    No Surprises? 15 Classic Albums of 15 Years Ago

  • 82815
  • review


    The Blood Brothers - ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn

  • 3517

    Interview


    DiS meets Joanna Gruesome: "Misogyny in music i...

  • 91610
  • DiSband


    DiSband #7: Viva Brother

  • 77972
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND