Let's dive into the crazy stories of the underground New York indie band that couldn't decide on a music style.
I decided to not talk about Delirium Trigger, as most of the songs are now of Coheed and Cambria.
Late 90's, NYC, young Claudio Sanchez dumps Nikki Owen to focus on his band Beautiful Loser with Mic Todd and Nate Kelly. Under the new name Shabutie, they write Plan to Take Over The World and The Penelope EP, Nate Kelly leaves the band, Travis joins and they "steal" one of the Eppard brothers from 3 - Josh. (later, the soon to be Coheed and Cambria uses 3's basement for practice, it's sad how things turn out).
At this time, the Amory Wars universe wasn't a thing yet and the lyrics were mostly about Claudio's life.
At this time, the Amory Wars universe wasn't a thing yet and the lyrics were mostly about Claudio's life.
Plan To Take Over The World
Disciple's Anthem
Remember I said he and Nikki broke up because of the band?
"Farewell Nikki
Could have sworn that you'd fall
A beautiful girl,
Whose smiles could cut me
Shabutie
Yeah, well, I'm a disciple"
But like most Shabutie songs this one has other great lines that make no sense
"I'll face the answer when I corner age thirteen
Flowers to remember the dead"
"Leave me sour
Unfulfilled
Stiff aroused"
This song may not be the best of Shabutie but it has good riffs and a good story on top of the lyrics.
"Farewell Nikki
Could have sworn that you'd fall
A beautiful girl,
Whose smiles could cut me
Shabutie
Yeah, well, I'm a disciple"
But like most Shabutie songs this one has other great lines that make no sense
"I'll face the answer when I corner age thirteen
Flowers to remember the dead"
"Leave me sour
Unfulfilled
Stiff aroused"
This song may not be the best of Shabutie but it has good riffs and a good story on top of the lyrics.
Strung Short
This is one of my favorites and it talks about...
Claudio's penis size. Yep. (#relatable?)
"I see myself at the bottom of a barrel.
She looked, looked in there and couldn't see me.
Said 'No, look at the tiny squiggle-like worm that sits
In the disgusting whiz that fills up the bottle.'"
I really like the "I'm a bastard" line, and of course, that it's a bit funky!
Claudio's penis size. Yep. (#relatable?)
"I see myself at the bottom of a barrel.
She looked, looked in there and couldn't see me.
Said 'No, look at the tiny squiggle-like worm that sits
In the disgusting whiz that fills up the bottle.'"
I really like the "I'm a bastard" line, and of course, that it's a bit funky!
Star Cecil
According to what I've read, Stars are a type of alien and Star Cecil is jailed inside a spaceship. And according to this youtube comment the name Star came from nail polish?
Anyway, this song is really in between the Amory Wars and his trouble with Nikki.
It's mostly very simple and really not that good, but some parts really get me
"But now that summer died"
He talks about the death of summer in many songs, most likely as the time when he and Nikki broke up.
"Ooh yeah sore, we taste
Remember three years ago
Said bring me here please release my own tile
Now that summer died
You’re wrong"
Now this part I like a whole lot, Claudio always knows how to use numbers well in his lyrics and the sound of the other words he chose fit really well too. I like how he chooses to use the words that sound right even if it doesn't make sense at all such as "tile".
If there's something this song does right it's the melody of the singing.
It's mostly very simple and really not that good, but some parts really get me
"But now that summer died"
He talks about the death of summer in many songs, most likely as the time when he and Nikki broke up.
"Ooh yeah sore, we taste
Remember three years ago
Said bring me here please release my own tile
Now that summer died
You’re wrong"
Now this part I like a whole lot, Claudio always knows how to use numbers well in his lyrics and the sound of the other words he chose fit really well too. I like how he chooses to use the words that sound right even if it doesn't make sense at all such as "tile".
If there's something this song does right it's the melody of the singing.
Goodnight
First thing I though when I listened to this song the first time was "WHAT, HE'S HAVING SEX WITH HIS BROTHER???" and you know what, it might as well be, I never found a solid answer if that's the case or not.
But basically it's just about playing star wars with his bro, and instrumentally it is pretty good with a good amount of subtlety and the usual shabutie tone.
"Whoa oh oh
Summer, she's gone but I remain
Summer, she gazed upon what I could know and
Remembered it all fall downward"
So summer died again, but he obviously didn't even know Nikki if he was just a kid, so who's gone? Really good wording again, though.
This song stands out as cute. It's two kids who like playing star wars and share a bed but you know, they're kids, it's what kids do. In any case, you probably shouldn't be singing this to your kid, you never know when you may have a Spiel Mit Mir going on.
But basically it's just about playing star wars with his bro, and instrumentally it is pretty good with a good amount of subtlety and the usual shabutie tone.
"Whoa oh oh
Summer, she's gone but I remain
Summer, she gazed upon what I could know and
Remembered it all fall downward"
So summer died again, but he obviously didn't even know Nikki if he was just a kid, so who's gone? Really good wording again, though.
This song stands out as cute. It's two kids who like playing star wars and share a bed but you know, they're kids, it's what kids do. In any case, you probably shouldn't be singing this to your kid, you never know when you may have a Spiel Mit Mir going on.
Wake Up
Once you get to the main riff this song becomes very rhythm focused and the bass starts to shine through in its funky ways. And you know how I like funky shit.
This song is much angrier than the other ones
"Wake up Dad, I'm a man
Can you stomach this?"
This kind of writing is almost a signature and it says so much with so little, you could write a whole book from this.
"And my fist in place
of your mouth"
Another great way of saying "I'mma punch ya", but if written nowadays would be changed to "And my fist in place of your dick" in honor of The Undertaker.
"And I'm never going back there once again
And I loved her so much I was afraid
And to sit here in the silence, listen for cries, oh I,
I've been denied"
Oh there you are again Nikki! Again, a good way of saying "she went away and broke my heart". If written nowadays... it would be sang by Brie and the lyrics would be "Come on, Nikki!" HA HA funny wrestling jokes are funny.
This song is much angrier than the other ones
"Wake up Dad, I'm a man
Can you stomach this?"
This kind of writing is almost a signature and it says so much with so little, you could write a whole book from this.
"And my fist in place
of your mouth"
Another great way of saying "I'mma punch ya", but if written nowadays would be changed to "And my fist in place of your dick" in honor of The Undertaker.
"And I'm never going back there once again
And I loved her so much I was afraid
And to sit here in the silence, listen for cries, oh I,
I've been denied"
Oh there you are again Nikki! Again, a good way of saying "she went away and broke my heart". If written nowadays... it would be sang by Brie and the lyrics would be "Come on, Nikki!" HA HA funny wrestling jokes are funny.
Shabutie has a very clear style even it it can't define a genre, I think that if you took away the trashy recording it would take away something from the songs themselves. The dissonant chords, the child mimicking vocals while talking obscenities, the lyrics that make no sense or are just too simple, these things make Shabutie unique, and sometimes, great. In Plan to Take Over the World what makes it all worth listening are the well placed words, the experimentation and, if you're anything like me, the back story.
Because of how well balanced the quality is with the trashiness I won't even bother trying to rate this, they came in with the idea of a punk band and did something completely different, I like it a whole lot but I understand how it can be unbearable to some people.
Because of how well balanced the quality is with the trashiness I won't even bother trying to rate this, they came in with the idea of a punk band and did something completely different, I like it a whole lot but I understand how it can be unbearable to some people.