Fight The Batman 4 U, a three-song EP, is the only material you will find from Minneapolis’ Confucisaurus on streaming services. But the band, with only two original members remaining, has released music previoustly.
Confucisaurus’ new three-song EP, Fight The Batman 4 U, caught me off guard (in the best kind of way) when it dropped a few weeks back.
I think I missed these songs when the band played them at their late-night Hotel Minnesnowta set in January.
I had been bouncing around between stages, but I was nonetheless converted by their energy, jammy blend of styles, from metal to hip-hop, and humor — John Mehren, who manages the band and handles lights also produces wildly dark political satire (which was aired on video monitors between a few of the songs).
So, I was eager to hear this EP, but I wasn’t expecting to be wooed by the pipes of Jurell Douglas-Coleman, aka Rellic, one of the band’s more recent additions, on the title track.
The song, “Fight The Batman 4 U,” is dynamic, even if it, as guitarist Bryce Tuitt put it this week, uses a fairly simple two-chord progression.
It’s catchy.
The song shifts back-and-forth between piano-accompanied irreverent soul singing and metal delivered with a sinister rap style and a very familiar Batman chorus, sprinkled with touches of Joker-esque laughter.
The Batman theme is both brilliant and non-sensical (unless you think like Riddler and his cronies), because, yeah, we’re fighting Batman now, and it’s over a woman (Vicky Vale?).
Bryce Tuitt has been with Confucisaurus from the start. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Tuitt explained how the song came to be. Rellic came over while he and keyboardist Jeremy Rose were working on some ideas. They had been working on a different song with the same two-chord progression.
They recorded a short 30-second snippet with some piano and soft guitar. They didn’t touch the recording for a few weeks when Tuitt “started playing around with it and added the heavy parts.”
He showed that to the band, and Rellic ran with it.
Rellic, aka Jurell Douglas-Coleman, had a creative streak in him, writing up lyrics for the EP’s title track fairly quickly upon hearing what guitarist Bryce Tuitt had put together in the studio. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
“It only took a day or two and he had lyrics for it and we were recording vocals,” he said.
““Baaabyyy!! I got my ass kicked by the Batman,
Now I’m in a body cast
Was it worth it lady?
Got me crooked crazy, with high,
high, high hospitals bills, Ooooooooo””
The second track, “Long Strange Daze,” reminds me of some jammy 90s rock and my stoned youth, with a nice mix of funky, watery, psychedelic guitar melodies and chunky guitar riffs.
I must mention Rose’s organ play, which helps bind everything together.
Rellic’s vocals are soulful and comfort me the way I first realized weed did when I was 16.
“Detox my brain with acid rain
and fly away to another place just to say
Detox my face with a splendid ace
And love will ease the pain inside my own brain”
“Vegan Chicken Nuggets,” is the longest, jammiest song on the EP, clocking in at 7:20 in the studio.
It’s mostly instrumental, though Rellic does repeatedly sing the title, while funky guitar and organ carry us, along with what sounds like a harmonica or accordion. I’m not exactly sure.
All in all, I think lovers of funky psychedelic music will enjoy this EP, which is the only piece of work you will find from Minneapolis’ Confucisaurus at this point.
Tuitt noted that the band has been around since about 2019 and has released material before, but he yanked it all from streaming services because the band only has two original members in it at this point, himself and bassist Patrick Freaner.
I didn’t know Freaner, but I sat down next to him and my former roommate at Hotel Minnesnowta.
Freaner encouraged me to catch their set during the very busy festival schedule.
I’m so thankful I did and this EP is one of the gifts I’ve received as a result.