When I first moved into my little DMZ of a neighborhood I was forced to listen to the sounds of open warfare every weekend, and some evenings, as well. You could hear the gangs coming in the distance if you were outside, or if the weather was cool enough to leave your windows open. Each time I heard their audible colors I would cringe, and offer a silent prayer that they wouldn’t meet in front of my house this time.
Eventually I would hear the cough and sputter of a badly tuned diesel engine, and I knew to stay low until the trucks passed. There was no way I was going to subject my musical sensibilities to the hideous digital tintinnabulation of competing ice cream trucks.
Turkey In the Straw, loathsome as it is, still beats a screechy Casio rendition of Fur Elise, and even that is better than the nightmarish qualities of the Brahms Lullaby as performed by the electro hordes of hell. (That last one always put me in mind of Kraftwerk running a death camp somewhere in Bavaria.) Why there were three competing routes all going through my neighborhood is a question I’ll never have answered, but last year Kraftwerk hit the Autobahn for the last time, and now the turkey’s thrown in the towel, as well. Was blood shed, or did only brain cells die in the cacophonous digital rumble? I’ll never know for certain.
But now, thanks to the good people at WFMU, you can stage your own aural recreation of the Great North Miami Ice Cream War. Relieve your childhood — or just shudder in terror — with the soothing melodies of Ice Cream Truck Music, Revisited.
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All ice cream trucks should play Tom Waits’ “Ice Cream Man” at all times, with lyrics. Of course, this would probably scare the crap out of the husbands of any remaining house-bound housewives.
Oh, come on Kevin…..This to will pass. The funny thing, about five years ago, kids playing in the park use to drive me nuts. Now it’s like a reintroduction to life’s simpler pleasures. The ice cream trucks are all part of that. The knowledge that you could your heart’s desire all for the price of a thin dime. For one brief moment, all your wants and needs are met. Amazing when you think of it. Nancy
I didn’t make myself clear, I suppose. I don’t have a problem with ice creams trucks. I had a problem with (a) the music, which was annoying, but bearable, and (b) three different annoying songs overlapping at once.
But man, I could go for a Bomb Pop.
ice cream trucks? must be an american (u.s.?) thing, never seen one over here!
i haven’t seen/heard an ice cream truck here in years. i miss them.
Hey, what’s with the the swipes at Kraftwerk? I wish I could find that Rendezvous/Computer love song or Tour de France. I get happy when I hear Planet Rock just to hear the layered sample! Not really..
Oh, I love Kraftwerk! But still, it’s an odd thing to hear 70s synth-pop sounds coming out of an ice cream truck.
what part of town you live in yo? Not much into Kraftwerk (lack of knowledge) but have good friends who travel to see them whenever and whereever in the US they are.
Ah, Kraftwerk is a marvelous band, but there are few I would travel to see.