The Chompies

A package from an old friend arrived recently at the DBE World Headquarters. Nate and his wife have lived in Germany for over two years, and they have made the best of it: occasionally we get postcards from Scotland, or Turkey, or Greece, or.... He has regaled me with stories of listening to American football on the radio while driving mountain roads in Sicily, watching the Tour de France, discussing US gun laws with incredulous Frenchpeople, and so on. If he weren't such a great guy, I'd probably hate him increasingly as the murderous Midwestern summer swelters on.

So, the package: it contained organic crackers from Scotland, chocolate-dipped cookies from Germany, a beautiful silk (?) pillowcase, and a demo CD by Nate's band, The Chompies. Calling The Chompies (that name is SO Nate) eclectic is like calling Dick Cheney unfriendly: a gross understatement. The disc starts off with two originals: the punky "Rat-Faced Boy" and the post-post-Dead "Entropy." The disc also contains traditional bluegrass ("I am a Pilgim," featuring Nate performing admirably on vocals and mandolin) and covers of The Ramones ("Suzy is a Headbanger") and The White Stripes ("Seven Nation Army"). But the centerpiece of the disc has to be "The Ballad of Godzuki," a Queen-styled mini-opera honoring Godzilla's cartoon sidekick from the 70s. That song best showcases the band's musical range and gleeful sense of humor. And with a name like The Chompies, it's got to be good.

So if you find yourself in Germany, Belgium, or France with nothing to do, check out The Chompies. North American tour dates are in the works, I'm sure, but nothing has been solidified yet. Folks who want to see The Chompies will have to get on the pickle in a hurry, before Interpol (the agency, not the band) shuts them down for copyright infringement. And not just for the covers; check out this business card: