GEORGE HRAB: Interrobang

George Hrab

Interrobang

© 2005 Geologic Records (634479173257)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

A musical journey of self doubt, naked ambition, personal revelation, and the challenge of living up to a philosophy. ...plus a song about squirrels

notes

First off: INTERROBANG has over 60 minutes of music, comes in an incredible custom case, AND includes a 16 page, full-color booklet with photos, lyrics and a detailed essay on the Theory of Relativity. Really! (News flash: in March 2006, Interrobang was awarded a design competition "Best of Show" at the ADDY® Awards in Pennsylvania. In April 2006, Interrobang went on to win a Gold ADDY at Regionals and is now a Nationals ADDY finalist.)

Second off: What’s an INTERROBANG?!

Question mark, exclamation point.

Hi, Geo here, and I started writing the songs for Interrobang during the winter of 2005. I saw a documentary on the band They Might Be Giants and was inspired by their endless drive and creativity. I wasn’t really familiar with their work, and often found their vocals to be nasally annoying. Something came across in this film however that demonstrated their earnestness and drive. It really inspired me. (I’ve subsequently become a big TMBG fan. Better late, eh?...) Right after viewing the documentary I wrote down:

"I hate my hair, I hate my voice."

This was the first line written for the record, and in deep, deep, DEEP (we’re tawkin’ deep) haiku like fashion revealed to me the direction the album would take. It would be a much more personal record; this time turning my observational vitriol inward at myself, instead of outward at late night purveyors of god, false panaceas and Spaneck Vertical Roasters. I would also consciously try to write when the muse punched me in the face, and not save up notebooks full of ideas and sketches, waiting until "composing time" to distill and formulate the snippets into songs. The tunes were often written in single stretches, with minimal editing and rewriting, all in faux western "suiboku-ga" style.
From disappointment and resignation, to observation and elation, I think the songs on Interrobang are some of my most earnest. I see the first 30 minutes of the record as a Geology suite (with one brief detour) that reflects on the both doubtful and assured nature of my psyche.

If you're kind enough to purchase this disc, keep in mind the idea of question and resounding answer. Now I know that this self-revelatory thread doesn’t carry through every single tune (hey, I gotta have at least ONE song about interesting fauna) but I think overall it’s about as confessional and personal as I get. This record rocks out more than my previous CD, Coelacanth, not that that's better, or worse- just something different. I wanted the guitars to drive this record, and I think that they do just that. Dig it!

reviews

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  • Interrogang
    author: Monica Schantz

    Brilliant as usual and as expected. George is one of my greatest successes in education.

  • Happy Birthday, Jesus!
    author: Essential Indie Music

    Kenny G "Holiday Album" continues to disappoint. He blows so much that he just truly blows. I mean, the only way it could be better would be if Baby Jesus got up and crapped in his saxophone. I cannot unrecommend this... er... what? Oh, sorry, I had the COMPLETELY WRONG CD in the player. On to George Hrab's Interrobang. WOW!! Amazing stuff!! Great for the Zappa fan (maybe even a nod to FZ's Apostrophe, eh?), and great for basically anyone who loves good music, plenty of instrumental fun, witty lyrics... I mean, geez... A++

  • It jams. It sings. It stings.
    author: Quentin Hudspeth

    This is an excellent album, musically and lyrically. Easy on the ears, but not on the brains. A wonderfully rare combination. Problem: While I give it 5 stars for content, I can only give it 3 for format. The oversized case, while novel, is a pain in the butt to store. Do I put it with the CDs or the DVDs? Except for a couple of trifling mistakes*, the treatise on relativity is an excellent layman's introduction, and it makes for a great intro to the album; but did it really need to be put in a DVD sized booklet?      * 1)Geo's translation of E=mc^2 from math to English leads one to believe both m and c are squared. Only c is squared. 2)Weight is not equivalent to mass.

  • Intelligent, witty, and introspective writing & jamming music
    author: Lance Miller

    You want to give George Hrab some of your time. Listen, love the music, then really take some time to listen to the lyrics. Geo is writing for your brain as well as your ear! I've also seen Geo and his Orchestra live, and the experience is not to be missed. Highly recommended.

  • Did you write this for me?
    author: Sarah L.

    Interrobang is the type of album you can listen completely through, over and over again, and it never becomes redundant, neither musically nor lyrically. Classy, intelligent music for people who like to make their own personal interpretations. Interrobang is a masterpiece, even the liner notes are inspiring. I want to share this album with everyone.

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