Lyrically, Alice Donut often explores depravity, domestic violence, sexuality and food, reflected in songs like 'My Life is a Mediocre Piece of Shit' and 'The Son Of A Disgruntled X-Postal Worker Reflects On His Life While Getting Stoned In The Parking Lot Of A Winn Dixie Listening To Metallica'.
2004's Three Sisters, their first record after their hiatus, was recorded as a four-piece with Tom Antona on vocals, Michael Jung on guitar, Stephen Moses on drums and Sissi Schulmeister on bass. Original guitarist Dave Giffen rejoined the group for Fuzz, which was recorded in Brooklyn's BC Studio with longtime co-producer Martin Bisi and released in 2006. Both Three Sisters and Fuzz were released by Howler Records.
The band's style and lyrics are eclectic. Their music is a mixture of hard rock, punk, and post-punk and typically features melodic, guitar-heavy, odd-metered, and rhythm based pieces and is often punctuated with brass instrumentation.
Alice Donut returned to Alternative Tentacles in 2009 for the release of the newest full length album, 10 Glorious Animals (although the digital release will handled by Howler).
Alice Donut will keep making records until they die.
Band Members:
Tomas Antona Vocals
Stephen Moses Drums, Trombone
Michael Jung Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
David Giffen Guitar, Vocals
Sissi Schulmeister Bass, Banjo, Vocals
Roaches in the Sink
Alice Donut Lyrics
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She's holding my mistakes up over my head
I'm simmering my meal with utter patience
She's screaming out bleeding verbal mutilations
A fed up Serbian kills Archduke Ferdinand
Unhinging the wrath of millions
Time to drink myself into
Oblivion
Stagger down the hall, open up the door
Ripped up photographs are scattered across the floor
Severed pieces of me
Pieces of my faulty personality
I walk inside the room, She's staring hard in rage
With a stern moral expression
My future's looking
Unpleasant
I can't afford this psychotic trauma pain thing
I can't afford it anymore
I can't afford the overwhelming weirdness
A murderous silence, she stares down at her feet
I take this as a cue, that I'm supposed to speak
In words of heartfelt conviction
And kneel before the priest
For my act of contrition
The song "Roaches in the Sink" by Alice Donut is a chaotic and intense portrayal of a dysfunctional relationship. The lyrics depict the singer cooking something dead with roaches in the sink while his partner is holding his past mistakes over his head. He is shown to be simmering his meal with patience while she is screaming and verbally attacking him. The chorus then takes a sudden historical turn with a reference to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand by a fed-up Serbian which led to the devastating First World War. In a fit of exasperation, the singer decides to drink himself into oblivion.
The second verse deepens the sense of unease in the relationship. The singer staggers down the hall and finds ripped photographs scattered on the floor which are symbolic of his own shattered personality. He enters the room to find his partner staring at him with rage and disdain which suggests that his future prospects are bleak. He voices his desperation with the repeated phrase, "I can't afford it anymore" referring to the psychotic trauma pain that he is experiencing. As the chorus repeats with the historical reference of the Archduke's assassination, the song takes an ominous and violent turn. The singer suggests a "murderous silence" and imagines kneeling before a priest for an act of contrition.
Line by Line Meaning
Roaches in the sink, I'm cooking something dead
While there are bugs in the sink, I am preparing something that has already died implying two unsanitary acts occurring simultaneously.
She's holding my mistakes up over my head
She is reminding me of my past failures and using them against me as a weapon.
I'm simmering my meal with utter patience
I am cooking my food slowly and carefully to ensure it is prepared to perfection.
She's screaming out bleeding verbal mutilations
She is shouting vicious and hurtful insults towards me, causing emotional harm.
A fed up Serbian kills Archduke Ferdinand, Unhinging the wrath of millions
A single event of rebellion can trigger the anger of countless people, referring to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in 1914 and the beginning of World War I.
Time to drink myself into Oblivion
I am going to consume alcohol to the point where I lose consciousness to forget about my current situation.
Stagger down the hall, open up the door
I am walking unsteadily through the hallway towards the door.
Ripped up photographs are scattered across the floor
Damaged pictures are strewn about the ground indicating a tumultuous relationship.
Severed pieces of me, Pieces of my faulty personality
Parts of me are fragmented, and my internal defects are present for all to see.
I walk inside the room, She's staring hard in rage
As I enter, she is directing a hostile gaze towards me.
With a stern moral expression, My future's looking Unpleasant
She is looking at me with a judgmental look, indicating that things are not looking bright for me in the future.
I can't afford this psychotic trauma pain thing, I can't afford it anymore, I can't afford the overwhelming weirdness
I am expressing that I do not have the means or capability to manage my mental and emotional state any longer.
A murderous silence, she stares down at her feet
A heavy and dangerous silence pervades the room while she diverts her gaze downwards.
I take this as a cue, that I'm supposed to speak, In words of heartfelt conviction
I interpret her behavior as a sign that I should speak to her honestly and truthfully while displaying sincerity and commitment.
And kneel before the priest, For my act of contrition
I need to take responsibility for my wrongdoings and seek forgiveness through confession.
Contributed by Mateo H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.