The quirky, ’90s alt-rock band Soul Coughing reunited recently after 25 years apart, setting off on a sold-out club tour across the country.
The news of the reunion was surprising for fans, who knew of the long-time dissention between band members. Frontman Mike Doughty wouldn’t even refer to his bandmates by name in his 2012 memoir. Yet somehow, they put aside their differences for this new tour.
Soul Coughing’s music was critically acclaimed for being innovative and unique, incorporating jazzy elements with modern sounds like samples and hip hop elements. The NYC band released three albums: Ruby Vroom (1994), Irresistible Bliss (1996), and El Oso (1998), before an acrimonious breakup.
Doughty’s lyrics and delivery were vaguely beat poet and stream-of-consciousness, occasionally venturing into spoken word and lite rap. Upright bass player Sebastian Steinberg powered many of the grooves, his thumping instrument serving as the center of much of the music.
Drummer Yuval Gabay’s syncopated rhythms gave the music a unique vibe. Mark degli Antoni played keyboard sampler and provided the offbeat sound effects, via sampled audio clips from cartoons, old songs, and random noises.
Choosing the 10 Best Soul Coughing Songs
Soul Coughing only had three albums and a couple of soundtrack contributions, or about 45 songs in total. Yet, it’s still hard to narrow down their output to just ten.
Because their songs were all so stylistically different, everyone’s list of the best Soul Coughing songs will vary. It’s really all about personal taste.
Here’s my personal Top 10 Soul Coughing list, from someone who values infectious hooks, quirky samples, and experimentation.
10 Down to This
Surely when the Andrews Sisters sang “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” in 1942, they had no idea their song would be spliced and sampled into an unusual rock song 52 years later.
A track from the group’s debut album Ruby Vroom, “Down to This” somehow finds a way to meld that sample with the band’s modern sounds into a cohesive package.
9 Casiotone Nation
“Casiotone Nation” blends a strong bass groove with random pop culture references, several clever samples, and a call-and-response section for maximium audience participation.
The weirdness is on full display here. “The People’s Republic of lumps in my oatmeal” is not a line you’d hear from any other band.
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8 St. Louise is Listening
A bit harder edged than some of the group’s other songs, “St. Louise is Listening” was a highlight from El Oso.
Unlike some Soul Coughing songs, which focus on abstract wordplay with unclear meanings, this lyric clearly references the life of silent film actress Louise Brooks, a major influence on Doughty.
7 Janine
The closing track on Ruby Vroom, “Janine” offers a catchy melody with an acoustic atmosphere. The unique part is that the entire song is backed up by a recording of a lullaby that Doughty’s ex-girlfriend Rachel sang into a pay phone.
The band didn’t perform this one live very often on its reunion tour, but they did play it in Brooklyn when Rachel was available to join them on stage.
6 Super Bon Bon
A minor hit from Irresistible Bliss, “Super Bon Bon” alternates jazzy, bass-heavy verses with a manic energy on the chorus.
The oddball music video adequately captures the offbeat nature of the band and its music. Love those scenes with Doughty standing 20 feet tall in the rainbow suit!
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5 True Dreams of Wichita
Powered by the upright bass, “True Dreams of Wichita” is a quiet, minimalist track, except for the sudden explosion of a fiery rap verse midway through.
I once found myself walking across the river in NYC, so I felt compelled to act out a lyric from the song. Yes, I did indeed stand on the arms of the Williamsburg Bridge crying, “hey man, this is Babylon!”
4 Sugar Free Jazz
Soul Coughing didn’t write gloopy ballads like other bands. Their slow songs were still weird as hell.
“Sugar Free Jazz” is a chilled-out tune with some of Doughty’s most interesting turns of phrase (“fossilize apostle and I comb it with a rake“), some of Gabay’s most compelling beats, and some perfectly-placed sound effects.
3 Circles
“Circles” was the band’s big hit, reaching the Top 10 on the Alternative Songs chart in 1998. The hook was undeniable. Even the verses had an infectious groove. Just a great rock song. Best part: the keyboard blips between lines.
Doughty wrote it after being ordered by his label to write a single. As much as musicians complain about that circumstance, it’s funny how many legit hits have resulted from that kind of pressure, isn’t it?
2 Bus to Beelzebub
I still remember the first time I heard “Bus to Beelzebub.” When that sample from the Warner Bros. cartoon started looping, it was one of the most wonderfully weird things I’d ever heard.
“I absorb trust like a love rhombus,” Doughty sang, before repeatedly screaming out “Yellow number 5!” for no apparent reason. Bizarre. Brilliant.
1 Screenwriter’s Blues
Another gem from Ruby Vroom, “Screenwriter’s Blues” features vibrant samples and Doughty’s dramatic, spoken-word narration. Nothing else sounded like this in 1994.
This feels like a song that captures the full potential of the band, with each member giving a noteworthy performance. It’s the one I keep coming back to, more than any other song in the Soul Coughing catalogue.
Honorable mention: Soft Serve, Lazybones, Rolling, Soundtrack to Mary, Collapse, Blueeyed Devil
Those are my favorite Soul Coughing songs. What are yours?
Last Updated on December 17, 2024