What? Much like the real Edie Sedgwick — who once wooed Bob Dylan and acted as Andy Warhol’s speed-fueled muse — Justin Moyer, provocateur of the band called Edie Sedgwick, likes to surround himself with stars…through his lyrics. On Things Are Getting Sinister and Sinisterer, the sonic rabble-rousers’ just-released new album (vinyl and MP3 only), Moyer plays gossip guy, dishing celeb-titled tracks from “Mary-Kate Olsen” to “Rob Lowe.”
“To all those in the orphanage / But mainly for the cute ones in the orphanage,” Moyer sings in “Angelina Jolie” over a rumble of drums, bass, and keyboards. “Working on a baby/ Let’s go get a baby / Black baby.” Spastic and unpredictable, Moyer’s latest album makes for a silly and truly curious listen. He describes the band’s sound as, “Fela Kuti meets Screaming Jay Hawkins meets the Ol’ Dirty Bastard at a Warhol exhibition.” He’s spot-on.
Who? Moyer’s debut album as Edie Sedgwick, First Reflections, dropped in 2000. But the next year brought a drastic change, with Moyer being diagnosed with epilepsy. But despite his medical woes — a mid-air seizure even grounded Moyer’s plane on a 2005 European tour — he remained devoted to his zany art, including songs, writing, and video about celebrity culture.
In late 2007 Moyer tapped a collection of D.C. punkers — including members of Soccer Team, the Evens, the Aquarium, and Medications — to record Things Are Getting Sinister and Sinisterer with Dischord founder/punk icon/Fugazi stalwart Ian MacKaye producing.
Fun Fact: Moyer will post videos for each track on the new album on his website. To check out the treatments for songs new and old, visit ediesedgwick.biz.
Listen: Edie Sedgwick, “Sissy Spacek”(DOWNLOAD MP3)
