Bio - The Carrot Chase (PDF)
Cover - The Carrot Chase
Promo Photo - Carrot promo 1 (by Anne Ruthmann)
Promo Photo - Carrot promo 2 (by Anne Ruthmann)
Promo Photo - Carrot promo 3 (by Anne Ruthmann)
Press for The Carrot Chase
“After several listens and a couple weeks deliberation, I laboured to the decision that this album is… Brilliant… Sh! The Octopus pretty much incorporate all the successful dimensions of American pop.”
- Duncky (Faces in the Sand) (Full Review)
“Sh! The Octopus shows that Detroit still has some great music coming from its weary streets. At the same time, Sh! The Octopus has appeal beyond Detroit, and they mix elements that are popular in modern indie rock. I have a feeling we might see more of this band…”
- Kevin Eagan (Blogcritics.org) (Full Review)
“Something you might expect to hear from a bunch of angry kids in a farmhouse garage outside Kansas City. Like punk, but with cows and pitchforks instead of studded leather jackets and mohawks… [All the tracks are] so good, f**k the FCC. Play it anyway… ‘Last Great Massacre’ is easily one of the most honest, forthright tracks I’ve heard in the past year.”
- Zach Musgrave (WSBF) (Article about Last Great Massacre)
“Poppy and a bit more polished than their initial output… (Christine) Baxter’s contributions are palpable and add a needed spice.”
- Keith N. Dusenberry (Real Detroit Weekly)
“The kind of thing that could be a good backdrop for bar-brawling fun… Dashes of harmonica, twittering keyboards, female backing vocals and a well-defined rhythm section… On the mic, (Randy) Bishop is a pop philosopher, a jaded rock warrior… as he describes the bar band’s struggle for something more.”
- Natalie B. David (Detour) (Full Review)
“‘Flaking Friends[…]’ A charming bit of acoustic-flavored pop… ‘If You Please[…]’ Sparse and wonderfully Spoon-esque.”
- Matt Whelihan (Punknews.org)
“It would be very hard for Sh! the Octopus to live up to such a great name, but they do an admirable job on their debut album, The Carrot Chase. The Detroit band [has] some good lyrics and can unquestionably play…”
- Michael Edwards (Exclaim!)
“The 5-piece outfit from Michigan known as Sh! The Octopus have done a fine job of recording, mixing, producing and releasing their debut full-length The Carrot Chase…”
- Matt the Raven (Delusions of Adequacy)
General Mentionings
“Fairly poppy, frequently veering toward a stripped down ensemble sound… They squeeze a nice spectrum of little parts and sound/style spectrums out of four members.”
- Keith N. Dusenberry (Real Detroit Weekly)
“Folksy outfit aiming to make big waves… Elements of folk rock are backed by a more rocking rhythm section with spare but upbeat drumming. Bob Dylan goes indie maybe? Good stuff!”
- Lager House Detroit
“Folky pop and oil paint ambition.”
- Metro Times
“…Kind of Steven Malkmus-y.”
- Jasper (Web Vomit)
“Sea and Cake-like blend of spare melodies and bright percussion with folky undertones.”
- Jordan Miller (Ann Arbor News)
“There’s the budding young, hip folk scene and there’s the edgy, emotional indie rock scene… Sh! The Octopus is able to blend these two sounds with ease to create refreshing music that stands in its own box.”
- Lauren Gant (The Big Green) (Full Article)
“Saturday was off the hook [… The Mighty Narwhale] were shapapjiewjo;fawf;j*., Sh…The Octopus were shapapjiewjo;fawf;j*., the bloody marys at the Blackstone were TOTALLY shapapjiewjo;fawf;j*…..the whole thing was as shapapjiewjo;fawf;j*. as you could want.”
- Scott McClintock (Member of Great Lakes Myth Society)
* We’re assuming this word has positive connotations
History
Sh! The Octopus came to complete fruition in the spring of 2007. Though, prior to everyone being in the proper place, Randy Bishop began performing under the borrowed 1937 movie title in July 2003. The “artist” to “band” transition started late 2005 when friend/guitarist Andy Stachowiak joined. He was followed by drummer Joel Pearson and bassist Chris Sesta in spring and summer 2006 (respectively). Lastly, vocalist/pianist Christine Baxter added the final piece in March 2007. Sh!’s debut, The Carrot Chase was released in July of that year.
The Name
Sh! The Octopus was originally a 1937 film directed by William C. McGann. It was an early sci-fi horror/mystery piece made with a very small budget. Think Ed Wood (before Ed Wood was making movies).
The story revolves around two bumbling detectives (played by Hugh Herbert and Allen Jenkins) hunting down a “killer octopus.” The plot is extremely convoluted and one is easily lost with a story that forgoes continuity for nonsensical meandering. At times the cast is focused on an actual sea being, then a crime boss with the nickname “octopus”, then a super-natural entity with powers to control the former (an actual sea being). Briefly stated, the film is confusing at best and ludicrous at worst, which is exactly why I loved it as a band name.
My original intent was to start a recording project limiting myself to using my 8-track reel-to-reel. Thus I attempted to pick an animal with relation to the number 8. Anything with “spider” connotes metal. An octopus, on the other hand, renders thoughts of both a sweet and cantankerous disposition. Upon further investigation of the word “octopus”, I came across the movie title and adopted it as my new projects name. I was a bit comforted by the fact that the movie was made nearly 70 years ago and completely failed at the box office, thus preventing any risk of a lawsuit.
-Randy
© 2003-2008
