Frog Craziness and the appeal of suicide

May 28, 2005 2:19 AM

The Crazy Frog / Axel F Song(previously mentioned on the Blue) is about to make history by being the first ringtone / pop music crossover to successfully invade the British charts. How successful? A little band named Coldplay also have a new single out; as it stands, Crazy Frog is outselling their effort by a factor of 4 to 1. People, this is serious. Prepare for some major league irritation to descend upon us. The success of this single will only spawn a legion of imitators, and that can only lead to the dark side. As Malcolm McLaren, ex Sex Pistols manager puts it: "Listen to this song and you can hear the death knell of the traditional music industry."
posted by LondonYank (40 comments total)

Anything that annoys Coldplay is alright with me.

Oh, and McLaren is clueless, always has been. This was the guy who dumped Adam Ant for Bow Wow Wow and thought Vogueing was going to storm the dancefloors.
posted by dodgygeezer at 2:34 AM on May 28, 2005

Dude. Have you heard / been subjected to this thing?

Coldplay / McLaren notwithstanding, this is bad news for the music lovers out there.
posted by LondonYank at 2:37 AM on May 28, 2005

This really is the worst thing to have happened in the entire history of mankind. If you've not heard it yet consider yourself very lucky.
posted by hnnrs at 3:06 AM on May 28, 2005

Yeah, dude, like major league irritation.

Are you folks big fans of the singles chart?
posted by the cuban at 3:14 AM on May 28, 2005

Have I heard it? You've got to be fucking kidding - everyone's heard it. The sooner the burbling phone junkies who download that crap get bored of it the sooner it'll be off our screens - if that means it has to get to number one then fine.

And Coldplay? That's not music, that's the sound of young suburban couples losing the will to live. It's only better than the frog in the sense that drowning in your own piss is better than than drowning in someone elses.

More to the point, this is not a new challenge to music lovers. A) It's not that different from Flat Eric (although I'd say Eric had the better tune) or any other advert that made the charts over the years. B) Music lovers don't care about the singles chart and haven't done since about 1990 which was about the time album sales outstripped singles two to one. C) Yes, it's irritating but is it as irritating as Jive Bunny and their George Lucas style reimaginings of classic songs or Star Trekkin, which in my opinion is the worst number one ever. It's a close run thing but no, I don't think it is.
posted by dodgygeezer at 3:14 AM on May 28, 2005 [1 favorite has favorites]

I love FREE MARKETS!

Love them, I do.
posted by gsb at 3:23 AM on May 28, 2005

I dunno, I kinda liked it. Then again, that may be because I've only ever heard it once so far, due to this FPP.
posted by Bugbread at 3:29 AM on May 28, 2005

aaah.. good ol' deng deng de deeeeeeennnng pwwwwwfuuittt!!
posted by zenzizi at 4:37 AM on May 28, 2005

Meh... Is this worse than Mr Blobby?
posted by skarmj at 4:51 AM on May 28, 2005

"This song is incredibly irritating and puerile and we're still trying to understand why people like it," Gennaro Castaldo, a spokesman for HMV, said.

"You maniacs! You're supposed to listen to the irritating and puerile songs we sell you, not ones you find on the Internet!" screamed a distraught Castaldo, as he melted into a steaming pool of fouls-smelling liquid.

That said, it's pretty catchy once Axel Foley kicks in. It's no "All Your Base," though.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:57 AM on May 28, 2005

Couldn't agree with you more, dodgygeezer. If I ever find that one of my beliefs is also held by Malcolm McLaren I immediately examine it to see where I've gone wrong. The man's only talent as far as I can see is having other people talk about him.

We all have heard really awful songs without it affecting our appetite for really good songs. In fact, the opposite might even be true - part of the reason that there is (despite Coldplay and everything they've attempted) some music out there with passion and integrity and the ability to make you dance is because people aren't satisfied by ringtones turning into singles or songs by Pop Idols. And God knows the UK charts have had this and worse before.

So yeah, when as my iPod is confiscated and filled with the Crazy Frog, Jive Bunny and Black Lace, that will be terrible for this particular music lover. Till then, well, if you like this kind of thing this is the kind of thing you'll like.
posted by calico at 6:02 AM on May 28, 2005

"Listen to this song and you can hear the death knell of the traditional music industry," Malcolm McLaren said.

McLaren, who has managed such best-selling acts as the Sex Pistols, Adam Ant, Bow Wow Wow and Boy George....

Maybe the death of the traditional music industry isn't that bad a thing?
posted by alumshubby at 6:06 AM on May 28, 2005

So let me get this straight, a swedish guy steals someone else's sound for an animation, then some german DJ's steal the Beverly Hills Cop theme AND the already stolen sound and make a song out of it? Who exactly is getting the money from the sale of this single, and why isn't anyone getting sued?
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 6:39 AM on May 28, 2005

I think this just shows how diverse music can be "popular". The current "hit-format" of ABABCBB with a top-class performer is just not the only way to make a catchy tune.

I, for one wish the death of the current music industry and welcome our new Frog overlords.
posted by hoskala at 6:40 AM on May 28, 2005

Cycling home one day last week, along the Embankment in London, heading towards Westminster. Zipped past a garbage truck whose driver and passengers were assailing the tourists with a loud and proud rendition of Crazy Frog. Weird, weird, weird.

There were some puzzled foreigners on the banks of the Thames that day.
posted by veedubya at 6:47 AM on May 28, 2005

Funny and weird songs have always around. Anyone remember Trio's 'Da Da Da' song from the 80's?

Some people called it the end of music then.

Techno music was often in the charts in Europe as well - and that was called the end of music - because it was so industrial, soulless and minimalistic.
posted by homodigitalis at 6:54 AM on May 28, 2005

Lots of people buying into a shitty music-of-the-moment craze is nothing new. The song will disappear as quickly as it arrived, but ten years down the road you'll start hearing it again because people think it's kitschy and laugh that they used to like it. Ice ice baby.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 7:00 AM on May 28, 2005

The hipster backlash against Coldplay is easily as irritating as the frog.

I'm easy on the Axel F video though, the animation is pretty good. Treat it like when you watched Whigfield tunes with the sound off.
posted by NinjaPirate at 7:01 AM on May 28, 2005

Who cares? Why haven't you listened to the new Red Sparowes album yet?
posted by baphomet at 7:10 AM on May 28, 2005

So, on an annoyance scale, how does this rate with the Fast Food Rockers, Bob The Builder, and the above-mentioned Mr. Blobby?
posted by Katemonkey at 7:28 AM on May 28, 2005

Who the fuck listens to the pop-radio or MTV?

Certainly not I. And since it's a cover of an existing pop song, I don't see how it's newsworthy to begin with.

If your post isn't part of the solution....
posted by furtive at 7:32 AM on May 28, 2005

Who the fuck listens to the pop-radio or MTV?
Certainly not I.

Wow, furtive. Not that I'm one to defend the current state of popular music, but... man.

Come not near to me, for I be indier than thou.
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:08 AM on May 28, 2005

Did you know that when chirography was introduced Sophocles and later Plato said that writing was going to be the death knell of memory and modern society? I think music can handle a little animated frog with a pee pee.

Am I the only one who likes the axel frog song? There's just something about it that makes me smile.
posted by Kimberly at 9:01 AM on May 28, 2005

Guess who hasn't heard this song? Here's a hint:

me.

I had to do some searching to find out what the griping is about.

My casual opinion: it's ass. But then again... Coldplay? I'm actually glad that something like this is tweaking them. Hahaha...

Petentious fop music dominated by banal remixed rehash. Death of music proclaimed. Pitchfork posse outraged. Film at 11.
posted by C.Batt at 9:05 AM on May 28, 2005

Did you know that when chirography was introduced Sophocles and later Plato said that writing was going to be the death knell of memory and modern society?

And they were right.
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:06 AM on May 28, 2005

"Listen to this song and you can hear the death knell of the traditional music industry."

Note: Industry. Not music. Industry. Fuck industry. Fuck Malcolm McLaren. Long live music.
posted by loquacious at 9:21 AM on May 28, 2005

skarmj: ...Mr Blobby.

What's he been up to? I lost track after I moved back to the U.S. about 10 years ago. That was right after he addressed parliment.
posted by StickyCarpet at 9:28 AM on May 28, 2005

Who cares? Why haven't you listened to the new Red Sparowes album yet?

Highly seconded recommendation.

Then also check out ...As the Poets Affirm. Damn Canadians and their good music.
posted by Mach3avelli at 9:58 AM on May 28, 2005

reminds me of that little German kid's song...not horrible but not at all good.
posted by amberglow at 10:05 AM on May 28, 2005

Crazy Frog sounds like they stole the vocal from the Ham(p)ster Dance. I'll bet the Hampsterizers are kicking themselves now for never releasing a single...
posted by wendell at 11:30 AM on May 28, 2005

Yeah, the Ham(p)sterdance is what this reminded me of (the phenomenon, that is, not the music --- I haven't heard this one, maybe because I removed the speakers from my machine a while ago).
posted by hattifattener at 12:50 PM on May 28, 2005

Oddly enough HamsterDance remix was on top of the UK charts in 1999. Only to be beat out by Sir Cliff Richards who's song Millennium Prayer was the Lord's Prayer put to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. What does this signify? Nothing, it's the pop charts, in the end pop singles will mean less to you on your death bed than the features magazine included in your Sunday paper.

If you put the Chili's Baby Back Ribs jingle to a nice thumping back beat, UK would buy it.

I want my {thump} baby back, {thump thump} baby back,{thump} baby back ribs {thump thump}





posted by MiltonRandKalman at 2:17 PM on May 28, 2005

I've got to agree with loquacious. "Traditional music industry" ?? Is it possible for something that is only about 50 years old to be considered tradition? That's a passing fad compared to the length and breadth of the history of music.

However, it does sadden me that somebody thought of making this track and then actually followed through with making it and releasing it as a single. Those two german DJs are probably laughing it up all the way to the bank (or, perhaps, their label is).
posted by ddf at 2:18 PM on May 28, 2005

I just watched it... that's what all this is about? This retarded little remix with some shitty CG attached? And this is on the BBC? This warrants NO FURTHER ATTENTION.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 4:06 PM on May 28, 2005

"The hipster backlash against Coldplay is easily as irritating as the frog."

Here, here. They're an easy target.
posted by jedro at 9:15 PM on May 28, 2005

Nyeh. This is just the same old superficial pop market bollocks given a crashingly obvious contemporary twist. As someone else observed, we've always had to deal with infinitely irksome idiotnoise which panders to the sort of taste-free proles who think Red Bull, casual sportswear and Big Brother are really neat ideas.

As for it outselling Coldplay by a huge margin; well, what a surprise. That says as much about Coldplay as anything else. And I'm no hipster. I'm a 46-year old ageing punk who just happens to know insipid sonic mucus when it slimes its way into my unfortunate ears. This is what really amuses me about this post: I don't think irrelevant, flavour-of-the-week ADHD-pleasing chaff like "Crazy Frog" is the problem with the current music scene. I think bands like Coldplay are.

dodgygeezer said it perfectly: "the sound of young suburban couples losing the will to live." I'm gonna nick that.
posted by Decani at 1:41 AM on May 29, 2005

zenzizi posted the truth.
I first heard this audio in a flash called 'sanity test'.

the thing I thought was funniest about this linked article is that they never seem to credit the sound as human, which I've never doubted. they claim it's some moped recording.

that said, laugh all you want at the silliness of it, but I've stopped mocking bad European popular phenomenons, after I made two observations a decade ago: "Wow, the Backstreet Boys would never work in the US." and "I can't wait to escape that fucking Macarena song!"

I do like the animation, though.
posted by Busithoth at 6:04 AM on May 29, 2005

A sample of the god-awful video attached to the song can be foundhere.

Official figures now say it is #1 with 150K singles sold.
posted by pooldemon at 12:16 PM on May 29, 2005

Crudely made, but some folks might enjoy this fantasy photo.
posted by re6smith at 10:35 AM on May 31, 2005

Harold Faltermeyer must be laughing all the way to the bank.
posted by kindall at 10:42 AM on May 31, 2005