Cut Out Kid

Mike Doughty’s New Band Does The “Rona Pallona”

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Soul Coughing has returned? Or is it just Mike Doughty, returning to original form? Nonetheless, to announce his new dance, the “Rona Pollona,” Doughty has teamed up with long time collaborator and touring mate, Andrew “Scrap” Livingston, for a new band called Ghost of Vroom.

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The duo takes their name from Soul Coughing’s debut album, Ruby Vroom, and let me tell you, it sounds like we’re being rocketed back to those early, “Sugar-Free Jazz” days. This time around Doughty has enlisted the help of Mario Caldato Jr, or as Beatie Boys fans know him, “Mario C,” to produce this record.

Don’t touch the box, don’t touch the shelf
Don’t touch the people, don’t touch yourself
Lysol sprayed on the wheel
No hugging, no shaking, hand-holding, no feel

This is the Covid-19 dance that we all have to do to survive. Doughty and Livingston have called it the “Rona Pollona,” but when you listen to the lyrics, you know what they’re getting at, “The COVID.”

“Do the Rona Pollona, yeah/You do the Rona Pollona, right
You won’t know it if you’re doing it right
You’re never knowing it if you’re doing it right”

None of us know if we are doing it right, but we are trying our best. To wear a mask, to social distance, to wash our hands, to use hand sanitizer. We are doing whatever it takes, to stay safe, and to stay alive.

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“If I jump, they’ll scrape me up
Throw me in sanitized SuperGulp cup
Come correct with a stimulus check!”

This is a snarky take on a serious subject, and I would expect nothing less from Mike Doughty. My biggest takeaway from this new project is that the Soul Coughing side of Mike is back! That is great news for fans of the band and the music scene in general.

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Tags:
“The COVID”, Andrew “Scrap” Livingston, Coronavirus, Ghost of Vroom, Mario C, Mario Caldato Jr, Mike Doughty, Soul Coughing