Nostrophone: hold one end in one nostril and blow notes with the other, depending on how far you hold it from the nostril. Players often turn purple in rehearsal. This musical instrument is an invention from the fertile brain of Spooky Daly, singer-songwriter of the band Spooky Daly Pride.
The name comes from the lead singer's grandfather's Gaelic name, which he claims is Spookalicious.
An inventive name for an inventive band, which cites such influences as Louie Prima, Elvis Presley, early Run-DMC, and early Beastie Boys. But mainly Prima, because he's a cool down-South N'awlins kind of musician.
Almost every track on the album Marshmallow Pie is a different meshing of sounds. "Happy Happy" is practically ska and sounds a bit like Smash Mouth - low, gravelly sounds and repeated, off-kilter beats. Other songs, like the album's title track, have a kick all their own - kazoos, banjos, accordions, and other "whacked up sounds."
So what is the meaning of Marshmallow Pie? Daly says it's all about unity, harmony, all of us being able to hop up and down like rabbits and eat marshmallow pie. But when pressed, he admits he was a little high when he wrote it, which is the case with most of his songs.
The band is quickly becoming popular, with its brand of feel-good, whacked-up music that you can tap your feet to. The songs have a relentless drive and still manage to make you smile, even when they're yelling "Go get it, cause the devil's after ya!" The band members create choruses with psychedelic guitar feedback and a cappella do-do-dos.
Musicians are older than Hanson, and younger than Garbage, according to Daly's description. The majority of them are from around Boston, but they definitely don't follow in the tradition of underground music in the Boston scene, which usually involves some degree of punk influence. The band isn't a Phish copy either, even though it's a jam band, or a new Soul Coughing, even if it professes Soul Coughing to be the band it most enjoys opening for. Spooky Daly Pride is a strange mix of alternative pop and high smiley faces with gravelly voices. Spooky Daly describes itself as a cross between a "phat-grooves sophistication thing" and "a duffel bag full of bolts and nuts and shit rolled down a hill."
The same could be said of the bands it has opened for: the Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, Busta Rhymes, and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Daly says the band has never had a bad concert, but it has had strange ones. One of the strangest was at the Civic Center in Providence, RI. The group had just started playing at local clubs when one day they got an offer to open for Primus.
"It was surreal. One day we're playing for a small club, and next we're playing for one of the biggest acts in the business, playing onstage in front of thousands of people," says Spooky. Spooky Daly Pride has since played for bigger bands and festivals, although the group says it would still be surreal to play at a concert of that size. It has played at Berkfest in the Berkshires, Harvest Moon Jambouree in upstate New York, and Leftover Salmon in Missouri. It was so popular that it was invited to come back to Missouri and play at an annual concert for the reform of marijuana laws.
"I love playing festivals," says Spooky. "There are so many different kinds of music, from bluegrass to straight-up rock, and you meet a ton of people. Everyone's there to have fun."
Spooky Daly Pride is on its way to stardom: "Go Get It" was just used in a scene on Alias on ABC this week and will be used in a Fox movie tentatively titled The First 20 Million is the Hardest. Spooky says he definitely achieved a new level of satisfaction with these accomplishments. The money was also "f---ing great. It's all going straight into the touring kitty."
So where did Spooky Daly get such talent? He has been messing around on the piano for his whole life, and as soon as he got a few lessons, he was off and running. He doesn't know how to read music, but a melody will come out of sitting down at the keyboard. The lyrics follow.
"I'm a stylist, if you know what I mean. I could put on a pair of boxing gloves and have it sound the same," he said.
Harper's Ferry (158 Brighton Avebue) will be hosting a CD Release Party for Spooky Daly Pride on Friday, Oct. 26.Call 617-254-9743 for more information.
