Comic book creators like Rob Zombie and Gerard Way are just the latest examples of how interlinked the music and art worlds are—in fact it seems like ever since the medium of comics and cartoons have existed there have been virtual bands struggling to make a name for themselves and conquer the world. While many of these acts are throwaways, there a handful of groups who are far more than sonic filler—and in some cases these bands have actually started to overshadow the cartoons that birthed them. Here we highlight five of our favorite animated musical acts, all of whom prove that cartoons are capable of rocking out just as adeptly as their human counterparts.
Gorillaz: As far as we know, Gorillaz are the only cartoon band on Earth to sell over seven million copies of their debut album. Created by Blur’s Damon Albarn and Tank Girl co-creator Jamie Hewlett, the virtual band exploded onto the music scene with their 2001 self-titled album, which mingled elements of rock, dub and Brit-pop to form a unique amalgam of music that could appeal to listeners across the sonic spectrum. While the identity of the actual members in the group is up for debate, we really don’t care who’s behind the characters of 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs and Noodle as long as they eventually get around to recording a follow-up to their 2005 album Demon Days, which featured cover art that was a brilliant homage to the Beatles’ Let It Be—in cartoon form, of course.
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ozb39Bgh9w
Dethklok: Dethklok are currently straddling the line between animation and reality via the band’s highly accomplished brand of death metal. In addition to being the stars of the hilarious cartoon Metalocalypse, the group—which is the mastermind of guitar prodigy Brendon Small—are also gearing up for a tour this fall alongside metal monoliths Mastodon, Converge and High On Fire. However cartoon or not, the music on the band’s debut The Dethalbum is some of the most accomplished (and, yes, catchy) death metal we’ve heard in a long time. The band just released the follow-up The Dethalbum II and we think that if the touring version of the band are able to pull the songs from both albums off live then Dethklok has the potential to be as successful as their cartoon counterpart.
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_Q-xDeTVFw
The Misfits: No, we’re not talking about Glenn Danzig’s band, we’re referring to Jem And The Holograms’ musical rivals from the ‘80s cartoon Jem. While the Holograms certainly had their share of rocking songs, we prefer the keytar-toting Misfits, who were a little bit darker than Jem (okay, relatively) yet had an equally infectious sound. We only wish that the Misfits would have spent more time fine-tuning their songs and less effort trying to upstage the Holograms, but we’re grateful that we can relive both acts’ adventures these days via YouTube. Speaking of which, we think the Misfits would be able to upstage Miley Cyrus any day of the week; check out the clip below and let us know if you agree.
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A5XFA84tMs
Josie And The Pussycats: On the more positive side of the female cartoon rock spectrum are Josie And The Pussycats. Based on the Archie comic book of the same name, this cartoon band made the jump from the printed page onto the television screen in the early ‘70s—and the show’s producers reportedly interviewed over 500 candidates before they picked the trio of women who would make up Josie And The Pussycats. While the show went off the air after just sixteen episodes the band’s influence on budding young rockers still lives on, which is evidenced by the fact that the band’s theme song was covered by Juliana Hatfield and Tanya Donelly for the 1995 compilation Saturday Morning: Cartoon’s Greatest Hits.
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzdaVKQvqQw
Iggy And The Sandstones: If you remember when the Jetsons met the Flintstones back in 1987 then you certainly recall Judy Jetson’s fling with Iggy Sandstone from Iggy And The Sandstones. While the band’s anthem “Bedrock Rock” isn’t the most original song we’ve ever heard, the group’s brand of “Monster Mash”-inspired soul is still preferable to a lot of what’s on the airwaves today. Oh, and don’t forget about the shredworthy guitar solo that occurs toward the end of the a song, a fact that’s even more impressive when you consider the fact that Sandstone’s guitar only has two strings on it. Hey, whoever said that cartoons can’t play?
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hsJOr1yAUI