(Photo Credit: Cheryl Groff)
What happens when you let a man wearing a monster mask loose in the streets? You get The Underground Railroad To Candyland’s new, trippy video for “The People Are Home.”
The band have unveiled the world premiere of their latest work right here on mxdwn, and it’s an intense ride.
Opening the track with a jangly, pop-infused guitar riff, “The People Are Home” combines addictive melodies with a punk edge. The upbeat drums and tambourine are the backbone to singer Todd Congelliere’s carefree vocals. As he sings “I can’t take it,” the joyful quality of the music gives the line an exuberant feel. It’s a song for throwing your hands up in the air when you’ve had enough. Congelliere’s vocals and lyrics perfectly embody that freedom you feel when you’ve decided to let the chips fall as they may.
The video matches this liberating vibe. Director Craig Flippy (who moonlights as a sasquatch hunter when he’s not filming music videos) cuts between scenes of a man wandering around busy city streets wearing a creepy mask, to two men rocking out in a trailer. The man in the mask gazes at a group taking a wedding photo in a park, looking dejected. Later, the man sees a guy leaning up against his fancy car, sending a text that says “Poor people are boring!” The masked man knocks his phone to the ground as sweet revenge. “The People Are Home” is a montage of strange scenes that all manage to come together in the end.
Observant viewers will also notice the main character wearing a Toys That Kill shirt. Casey (Chachi) Ferrara, Jimmy Felix and Todd Congelliere from The Underground Railroad To Candyland played together in Toys That Kill in the late 1990s. It’s a shoutout to their roots.
The band has had a bit of a complicated history. Singer Congelliere originally formed a different group, F.Y.P. (Five Year Plan) in 1989, and the group was known for their blistering live performances. When F.Y.P. broke up in 1999, the members went on to form Toys That Kill. Now, members of that band perform together as The Underground Railroad To Candyland.
The Underground Railroad To Candyland are a fun band, and this video definitely showcases that. They describe their sound as the distilled version of the 1960s Merry Pranksters: full of acid, self-expression and trippy imagery.
The band is currently planning for more of their infamous live shows. They just released their latest work The People Are Home this May via Recess Records. Check out our review of this record right here.
Take a look at the official world premiere of “The People Are Home” video below:
Tour Dates:
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6/15: Detroit, MI – Sanctuary (TTK)
6/16: Bloomington, IN – Back Door Bar (TTK)
6/17: Cincinnati, OH – Frankl Church (TTK)
6/18: Cleveland, OH – Happy Dog West (TTK)
6/19: Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Explosion (TTK)
6/20: Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Explosion (URTC)
6/21: Allston, MA – O’Brien’s (URTC)
6/22: Allston, MA – O’Brien’s (TTK)
6/23: Brooklyn, NY – Acheron (TTK)
6/24: New Brunswick, NJ – The West (URTC)
6/25: Trenton, NJ – Mill Hill Basement (TTK)
6/26: Baltimore, MD – Barclays House (TTK)
6/27: Philadelphia, PA – TBA (URTC)
6/28: Philadelphia, PA – The Fire (TTK)
6/29: Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups (TTK and URTC)
6/30: Ft Wayne, IN – Brass Rail (TTK)
7/1: Chicago, IL – Fizz (URTC)
7/2: Milwaukee, WI – Cocoon Room (TTK- EARLY ALL AGES SHOW)
7/2: Milwaukee, WI – Bremen Café (URTC)
7/4: Minneapolis, MN – D4th of July at Triple Rock (TTK and URTC)
7/6: Omaha, NE – the Hideout (TTK)
7/7: Denver, CO – Hi-Dive (TTK and URTC)