It used to be so easy. While every other major metropolitan city and town had a rock band or a pop singer that they could call their own – even cities like Akron, Ohio (Devo, the Pretenders) or Springfield, Massachusetts (Staind), Albany had – well, we had Blotto. And Blotto was good. Very good. Blotto got on MTV. Blotto was heard on Fly 92. Blotto had “Metal Head” and “We Are the Nowtones” and “When the Second Feature Stars” and “She’s Got a Big Boyfriend.”
And of course… they had their biggest hit. “I Wanna Be a Lifeguard.”
No, no, not that one… THIS ONE!!
And it was ours – it was a hit song from the Capital Region area, and it was great. Blotto was the band that broke out of the Capital District. Blotto was heard throughout the Northeast. They toured with Blue Öyster Cult, for God sakes. For all the other bands that came out of the Capital District – Fear of Strangers, the Capitle, the Disctractions – the Capital Region could still lay claim to the greatness that is Blotto.
But they’ve got competition now. Competition by a Saratoga Springs electronic duo called Phantogram. And unless you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t gone to a live concert since the last time Chefs of the Future played at 288 Lark, then you’re missing out completely. This band is taking off like no other band in the last 30 years has done. They’ve got awesome music videos. They’ve got fantastic live performances. Their current album, Eyelid Movies, has been featured on NPR.
And then there’s this little matter of the infectious, trippy pop song that is stuck on my iPod and I don’t want it to leave – “Mouthful of Diamonds.”
This could be the song that breaks nationally for Phantogram. And if it ever reached the Top 40 on the pop charts, or on the VH1 or MTV charts, or any other music charts, it would be a true and appreciated accomplishment by a Capital District music group.
Obviously these are two different groups, with two different musical styles, two different generations. One associates Blotto with great live shows at the Chateau and the Ritz; one associates Phantogram with great live shows at Revolution Hall. But if you only had room on your had to chose the best song from each group – “I Wanna Be a Lifeguard” or “Mouthful of Diamonds” – and you only had room for one track on your iPod, which one would you choose? Poll is below.
[poll id=”3″]
Chuck The Writer 
Hello……My name is Blotto….What’s yours ?
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“two different groups, with two different musical styles, two different generations” quite true but still a connection – the dated Harvest Gold refrigerator in the Mouthful of Diamonds video was right in style when Blotto was making their videos!
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For someone who reads blogs… to have some blogger make me vote between Blotto and Phantogram…its…its an occupational hazzard. If you want to ask some one to vote, my comment is….go ask the drummer!
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Frank –
Sometimes it makes you go berserk… 🙂 🙂
It could make you get high on your own supply… 🙂 🙂
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Fantastic live performances from an electronic duo?? Really? Watching someone push buttons to change pre-recorded background music and drum tracks is a fantastic live performance? It is barely alive, let alone live. The “live” perfomance at the radio station that is on line is about as dull as it can get.
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berserk??? it makes me want to smash my head against the wall, and
I don’t even know what for
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Hi Chuck Miller Writer, photographer, trivia champion from Street Academy!!!!!!!!!
As a fellow local celebrity blogger and musician I am voting for Blotto!
When this Phantogram gets living legend Buck Dharma to play on their record I’ll think about changing my vote.
Rock on,
Kev
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Thanks, Chuck. And now because of your poll, Bowtie is thinking that perhaps we should change the name of “Lifeguard” to “Mouthful of Doughnuts.” You’ll be the first to know once we make our final decision.
Yours truly,
Sgt. Blotto of Blotto Records, a division of Blotto Industries
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Chuck….I just wanted to clarify…..its not you…its your poll that I cant stand.
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I don’t take it personally… it’s just all those little things like…
When I come over to your house and father tells me:
“Don’t park in the driveway, ’cause your car drips oil over the new white pebbles.”
And then, when I go inside the house, the cat jumps on my lap and gets hair all over my shirt and pants
And your grandmother sits on the newspaper and gets it so wrinkled and bunched up that I can’t even read it
And your sister brings out her scrapbook and wants me to look at ALL of her prom pictures.
I mean, WHO CARES?!?!?
And your brother wants me to help him with his science project: dissecting frogs, UGH! What a mess!
And I go to the bathroom to wash my hands and all they have is soft soap and my hands smell like coconuts
And I can’t dry them on those little guest towels,
so I gotta wipe them on my shirt, which is already covered with cat hair!
And then when I come outside, your father corners me
and starts telling me all the jokes he read in Playboy magazine,
and nudging me in the ribs with his elbow and winking at me
And then your mother gives me that look like, “What have you been doing with my daughter?”
I can’t take it anymore! It’s driving me crazy! I can’t take it anymore! It’s driving me out of my mind!
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exactly
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#9: Spoken like someone who hasn’t lost a trivia bowl to Chuck.
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I’m voting for my favorite, coolest, and best-looking clients like ever:
Phantogram.
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I know Blotto is maybe the best known band to come from Albany but c’mon, they’re a novelty group at best. Kinda sucks when the band that gets acknowledgment in this area is a poor mans version of Barenaked Ladies or Weird Al. That Bowtie is UNBEARABLE. These negative charisma mooks make Greg Kroll look like James Brown in ’68.
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Lighten up Bucky! Bowtie rocks!
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“Mouthful of Diamonds” clocks in at 4:10. “I Wanna Be a Lifeguard” also 4:10…..Coincidence?
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Okay, this is interesting. Since I put this questionnaire up last Thursday, I’ve heard from Sarge Blotto, Bowtie Blotto, F Lee Harvey Blotto and Broadway Blotto… I wonder if at some point I’ll be hearing from Josh and Sarah of Phantogram…
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Probably not, Chuck. I’m guessing that, unlike the members of Blotto, they have better things to do with their time than to scour through TU blogs in the desperate hope that someone will mention their name.
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It’s revoltin’ that Popeye wasn’t an option on the poll!!
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