Richard Gumby, like Robert Anton Pizza or Mark Twain, is a pseudonym.
Did you notice that “Gumby” is probably not his last name? Gumby is a flexible
green being responsible for numerous childhood nightmares. Richard Gumby makes
music that’s not nightmarish at all. See, there’s a difference.
Scott Crossman – oops! Richard Gumby’s true identity is out of the bag!
– is from Detroit, and was sucked in to the collegiate vortex of Athens,
Georgia, like the rest of his Fall Break Records cohorts. It’s not a stretch to
imagine him playing alongside some cohorts in the Elephant 6 collective, a
comparison I’ve totally not come up with on my own – maybe sharing a stage with
Elf Power or Beulah, some of the less psychedelically minded offshoots.
And while psychedelia isn’t the most obvious touchstone here (I’d say a
jangly form of indie rock, like the rest of the Fall Break stable, probably
is), it certainly makes its presence felt here and there. Vocals are often cloaked
in deep reverb, and samples and snippets pop up here and there to divert. (Is
that a theremin at the beginning of “I’m Not Sad,” an actual OTC-inspired
romp?) Gumby, er, Crossman is definitely well-versed in Beatles and Beach Boys
classics, with an ear for pop melodies. Hey, just like all those E6 cats!
Let me get real with you for a second – what’s up with that cover?
Seriously. Sub-MS Paint craziness. I never would have guessed the music sounded
like this. I’m the kind of person that ONLY judges books by their covers, so I
was pleasantly surprised. Maybe I should rethink that philosophy.
--Ryan Masteller