You Know Who Digs Chixdiggit? Teenage Bottlerocket’s Ray Carlisle Does, That’s Who

Teenage Bottlerocket’s Ray Carlisle tells BlastEcho about his favorite song you’ve never heard:

“Shadowy Bangers From a Shadowy Duplex” by Chixdiggit

The best songs tell a story. KJ Jansen of Chixdiggit has a way of painting a picture with his lyrics. He’s one of my favorite songwriters. “Shadowy Bangers From a Shadowy Duplex” illustrates some heavy-metal dudes moving in next door and scaring the shit out of your mom. Turns out the heshers are a pretty good hang. KJ sings about going on a beer run with the headbangers and they call the man who works at the liquor store “Mr. Proprietor.” He wonders how these heavy-metal motherfuckers learn words like that. Turns out they have a dictionary in the back of their Firebird. That’s right, ladies and gentleman, shady dudes in Canada cruise around in Trans Ams, their shirts are black and the sleeves are white! Look the fuck out because they look sketchy as hell and they probably smoke weed all day and cruise up and down the main streets of Red Deer. 

Is there a point to these lyrics? I think so; let’s not be so quick to judge the dude with the denim jacket that hasn’t been washed since 1984. Let’s not be so judgmental that the Slayer patch on the back of this guy’s jean jacket is peeling off on one corner. He’s a legend, not a seamstress. There’s a chance you might find a friend for life. And when you show up to a party together, well, everyone’s going to think to themselves, “shit, I wish I had a heavy- metal friend.”

Is this my favorite song in the world? No, it’s not. But, holy hell it’s stuck with me through thick and thin. I can’t listen to any Chixdiggit record and be in a bad mood. Chixdiggit is one of the best bands in the world with one of the worst band names in the world.

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