Mp3 of the Week: The Outburst Fucking Did It
The first time you hear the OUTBURST's "New York Surprise," you'll wonder if this is it, the one: the absolute worst song you've ever heard. By the 20th time, you'll be singing the out-of-tune chorus -- "You fucking did it/I know you did it!" -- to everyone you meet. In just over a month, the Outburst, a trio of teenage Dropkick Murphys fans from Quincy, have gone from anonymous MySpace geeks to 2008's first big worldwide web meme. Someone posted "New York Surprise" on the Tony and Pals forum; a week and several message board threads later, the song was getting a thousand plays per day on MySpace, had been covered a dozen times (in styles ranging from polished pop-punk to screaming noise, trip-hop to hip-hop, blues to folk), and inspired its own fan-made YouTube video (see above). Is it Boston's answer to "Chocolate Rain"? Maybe, but it's also a 21st-century heir to the ourve of the Germs, the Shaggs, and Crypt Records obscurities the Rats: these kids can't play to save their lives, but their sloppy, vindictive, unvarnished abandon is one of the most unbelivable music for your ears beautiful noises you'll hear all year.
LISTEN: The Outburst, "New York Surprise" (MySpace)
DOWNLOAD: Ryan McGinty "New York Surprise" (mp3) [Pop-punk]
DOWNLOAD: Countess of Persia, "New York Surprise" (mp3) [Nick Drake-y folk]
DOWNLOAD: Dropkick Skully Rich, "New York Surprise" (mp3) [Oi!]
DOWNLOAD: Unfuckwithable, "New York Surprise (80s Rap Version)" (mp3)
DOWNLOAD: Lusty Ghost, "New York Surprise" (mp3) [talkboxy videogame dub]
DOWNLOAD: Daniel Wholey, "New York Surprise (Downtempo Disco Dub)" (mp3)
DOWNLOAD: Evan Parker & the Sex Hallways, "New York Surprise" (mp3) [Indie-folk]
DOWNLOAD: Lucas Lewis, "New York Surprise" (mp3) [trip-hop]
DOWNLOAD: Jon Howard, "New York Surprise" (mp3) [screamo]
DOWNLOAD: The Rog, "New York Surprise (Acoustic)" (mp3) [Folk]
DOWNLOAD: N.U.N.N., "New York Surprise" (mp3) [Piano glee-clubbery]
If you know a better one, plz post in comments. Also: Someone plz make a better t-shirt than this one.
UPDATE: In the Bridge9 board thread devoted to "New York Surprise," it appears someone has finally solved the "sex hallway"/"six hallway" riddle. A member of the Outburst is quoted thusly: "Sixth hallway. its a hallway at north quincy high school that was closed off because there was no real need for it but kids go down it and smoke and have sex and shit during school."