Athens Boys Choir, Jockstraps and Unicorns

by Stephanie Allerdice
09/20/2007

Today I picked up and listened to my first spoken word CD. I figured what the heck, I listen to everything so why not give this one a try. The CD was Athens Boys Choir’s Jockstraps and Unicorns.

It didn’t make me a lifelong fan of spoken word, but the CD is pretty darn entertaining. At least entertaining enough to keep me amused and engaged for 35 minutes.

I know when people think spoken word, they think angst-ridden, rhythmically challenged, black-like-my-heart poems said with dramatic pauses as someone plays the bongos in the background. But Athens Boys Choir defies that stereotype, and any other genre stereotype they would be placed in.

Katz, the lead speaker and writer, mixes poetry with music and rhythm, making it impossible to tell if he is speaking to music or if someone is playing music to match the words.

Each track was a surprise; the whole CD is a mix of comedy, satire, sweetness and a just a touch of sorrow. Katz starts by praising yet blasting Athens to a smooth beat, commenting on small truths about everything from Greek Life to the gay community.

He challenges the world to be a more civil place in the poem, “Settle for a Hello.” And he is absolutely right, people do anything to avoid uncomfortable situations with strangers but it has gotten to the point where you can’t even say hello to someone and not be considered weird.

The sixth track, “Break Ups Suck Big Ones,” starts as your typical break-up emo poem, and I was disappointed. Up until this point everything had been fresh, original and snappy, but I should have had more faith, literally. Halfway through the poem, Katz brings in a Church Chorus. Far from singing hallelujah though, they are singing that he’s moving on because his ex sucks, a welcome twist to the dried up breakup poem.

The album also includes a hilarious parody of Sir Mixalot’s “Baby Got Back,” called, “Tranny Got Pack.” (I’m sure you can guess what it’s about.) That song is followed by a poem that would solve the world’s problems. If only the politicians would listen to Katz telling them to, “stop blowing s**t up.” But this poem isn’t just sarcastic, it’s soulful. It doesn’t sugar coat what is going on in Iraq and it gives a shout out to all the mothers who have lost children in the war.

The album is also sweet and slightly inspirational. The eighth track, “Love Poem,” can’t be judged by its title. Spoken to a cool beat on the guitar, it’s not a mush love poem about the icky, gooey feelings that would make me want to regurgitate everything I ate today. It’s a real, raw, and rational dialogue about how the movie love isn’t the love we get in the real world. And though he used funny metaphors, he gets his point across.

The album ends by praising the online sex toy industry, which is fitting for this roller coaster ride of an album. These songs may not end up on my favorite play lists, but it was an experience I am glad I had.