"Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" - Whale

A band from Sweden, although, not the powerhouse that was ABBA. Regardless, Whale is quite probably the most endearing and timeless of 90's Alternative one-hit-wonders. This is a time period and genre that saw a great many one-hit-wonders, such as Cypress Hill and EMF, but Whale take the cake. Making a peculiar variation of Noise Rock palpable to the ears of Pop music fans, and perfectly weird enough to play alongside Beck's "Loser" on either college or mainstream radio. "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" tells the tale of a strange woman with a penchant for violating homeless men? The humor is dark and bizarre, and quite obviously, very befitting of the St. Kurt Cobain era. The greatest sell factor for this novelty tune is the comical music video that was in regular rotation on both Beavis and Butt-head and Alternative Nation with Kennedy, each program geared to MTV's Rock audience of the time period.

In a way, it is almost as if the song is sort of mocking the militant feminism that became fashionable during the time period, but perhaps my old fashioned ways are reading into this track a little too much. Again, regardless, these Swedes that name themselves after a massive sea mammal really nailed the time period like so many other acts, but "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" does so in that most worthwhile of ways, in that they tackle the anything goes approach with great aplomb. What can only be referred to as Trip-Hop mingled with Death Metal, and that sassy and uncaring vocal, make for a timeless little jaunt into the recent past, and is the sort of fun and catchy jam that would be more than appropriate for any retirement home party. And in terms of the video, the braces don't hurt either...