Soul Coughing is one of those bands that is hard to classify. Vocalist Mike Doughty kind of sing-speaks his lyrics in a style that’s neither really rap nor spoken word poetry but perhaps something in between. Musically, the band lays down some grooves that feel a bit like a jazz act trying to sound like hip hop. (Ya gotta love that upright bass!) And there was a slight undercurrent of avant garde experimentalism that seemed to inform the music.
Their debut Ruby Vroom (1994) was big with my friends and I back in the day. I saw them live (downstairs at the Middle East, Cambridge, MA) and they were phenomenal, one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, sheer high-energy fun.
Here’s a sampling. Dig it!
Cover Art:
- Ruby Vroom and Irresistible Bliss (inner sleeve): Source, Discogs.com, Fair use.
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