They Shoot Horses Don’t They
Boo Hoo Hoo Boo
Kill Rock Stars
By David Chiu
Taking their name from an old film, The Shoot Horses Don’t They sounds like a cross between Talking Heads and the Specials—art rock with a bit ska and NYC-styled punk. From the album Boo Hoo Hoo Boo, it doesn’t sound like the 8-piece Canadian collective has any aspirations for mainstream acceptance because the music is very avant garde, albeit whimsical and quirky. Nut Brown recalls Joe Strummer with his desperate vocals that befits the They Shoot’s loose rock and roll and manic, cryptic lyrics. Its iconoclastic approach is what makes it interesting too.
NewBeats 