The Locust was formed by Justin Pearson, Bobby Bray, Dylan Scharf, Dave Warshaw, and Dave Astor. After a number of personnel changes, they arrived at their current four-piece lineup in 2001, consisting of Pearson, Bray, Gabe Serbian, and Joey Karam. Originally a powerviolence band with a strong tendency towards synth-based passages, they have more recently stripped down much of their past sound, but retained the heavy distortion, synthesizers, screamed vocals, and intense stage presence. On the band's unique sound and live presentations, singer/bassist Justin Pearson has said, "I wanted to change the way people perceive music, or maybe just destroy it in general." Their music is complex, dynamic and fast-paced, often featuring abrupt and inconsistent time-signature changes. These erratic elements are, according to guitarist Bobby Bray, "a reflection of perhaps how our brains have to function in order to be able to do anything in the Western societies we live in."
The Locust have a unique stage presence: costumed in skin-tight, full body nylon suits (which the band refer to as uniforms), they have at times come across to first-time viewers as frightening. The last 5 different suits were designed and made by Ben Warwas. Unlike most bands, which normally have the drums set up behind the other members, the four members of The Locust are usually all positioned in a line at the front of the stage. The group recommends that in order to get the full impact of the music, one should see them live. The Locust boycotts Clear Channel Communications and refuse to play in any Clear Channel-owned venues. This boycott affected a 2005 tour with Fantômas as well as another tour with Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They also have a policy of only playing all-ages shows. The band's lyrics range from stream-of-consciousness poetry to satirical portrayals of mainstream ideas of sexuality to political commentary and critiques of religion.
AOTKPTA
The Locust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grows from the ground and spills its guts out on the sidewalk
Pseudo politico, flat talk o'clock:
Rolls past the site of a flesh insurrection
Sidestepping creep, hostile slumlord:
Grabs his cash and hits the road
His face is scarred and scabbed like the map of some
Desolate wasteland, a speck of neglect
We'll bury this city in trash
Damage deceiver
Builds up his believers
and takes charge
Stains half of the sewer
with chaos and clover
and charred tongues
Is this the dumpster of your dreams?
And who will be your next trash crusader?
Ancestor incest
The organs are rotting
on weak slabs
Re-animating
The corpses of buildings
With old stones
The lyrics of The Locust's song AOTKPTA are full of metaphors and vivid imagery that reflect the band's political and social critique. The song talks about a newly built tower that grows from the ground but spills its guts out on the sidewalk, which can be interpreted as a reflection of how modern society's progress and development often lead to destruction and chaos. The pseudo politico and the hostile slumlord mentioned in the lyrics are representative of corrupt politicians and ruthless capitalists who exploit the poor and marginalized for their own benefit, without regard for their well-being.
The chorus of the song, "We'll bury this city in trash" can be seen as a call for revolution or rebellion against the status quo that perpetuates injustice and inequality. The lyrics also talk about the damage deceiver who builds up his believers and takes charge, which could be a reference to how propaganda and misinformation are used to manipulate people and maintain power structures.
The themes of decay, corruption, and rebirth are prominent throughout the song, as evident in the references to ancestors' incest, organs rotting on weak slabs, and re-animating the corpses of buildings with old stones. The Locust's AOTKPTA is a powerful and incisive commentary on the state of the world, its injustices and hypocrisies, and the need for change and resistance.
Line by Line Meaning
Ideological leper, newly planted tower:
A person who is disliked and who holds radical beliefs has just built a new building or structure
Grows from the ground and spills its guts out on the sidewalk
The building or structure is growing rapidly and is causing major issues for pedestrians
Pseudo politico, flat talk o'clock:
A fake politician is using hollow rhetoric to deflect attention from real issues
Rolls past the site of a flesh insurrection
A car or other vehicle drives past a location where people are protesting and demonstrating
Sidestepping creep, hostile slumlord:
An unpleasant landlord is evading responsibility for poor living conditions in their property
Grabs his cash and hits the road
The landlord is taking the money and fleeing without making any improvements to the property
His face is scarred and scabbed like the map of some
The landlord's face is severely damaged, resembling a barren and desolate place
Desolate wasteland, a speck of neglect
The property is a barren, uninhabitable landscape due to extreme neglect
Bombed out and leveled, to be cleansed again
The area has been destroyed and will need extensive rebuilding and cleanup to become habitable again
We'll bury this city in trash
We will destroy this city by filling it with garbage and waste
Damage deceiver
A person who deceives others by causing harm or destruction
Builds up his believers and takes charge
The deceiver gains followers and takes control over them
Stains half of the sewer with chaos and clover and charred tongues
The deceiver creates chaos and destruction that spreads rapidly throughout the area
Is this the dumpster of your dreams?
Is this the kind of place you want to be living in?
And who will be your next trash crusader?
Who will be the next person to try and clean up this mess?
Ancestor incest
The act of reproducing with a family member from a distant generation
The organs are rotting on weak slabs
The structure or building is decaying and falling apart on a weak foundation
Re-animating the corpses of buildings with old stones
Attempting to revitalize old structures with outdated or ineffective materials
Contributed by Vivian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Anthony-nd6vk
I mean…his comment is not trying to talk bad about folx (me included) who were bugg fans back in the day…
I think @lowlevelplato is making a point I agree with thruthru.
None of this sounds old, none of this sounds dated, it still hits with tremendous offense. It is still, if not more, punk.
They were before their time - not for anyone who is reading this probably, we were there - but in fifteen years from now, mark my word, some aspiring music critic is going to rediscover 🪰 and it will explode their grasp on it all
This will continue to challenge new gen’s understanding of music/politics/possibility/punk for a gooood while longer.
It’s high compliment to say the world was twenty+ years behind what an artist was creating.
Saying a band feels more relevant two decades later is peak 🖤🤮
🪰🪰🪰
@CharlesNotBronson
2 bands blew my minds when I was getting into music back in 2009/2010:
It was The Locust and An Albatross.
@3SCAPER00M13
Dude, I love An Albatross! Lazer Viking was so good.
@CharlesNotBronson
@@3SCAPER00M13 Same, dude! Especially their tentacle vid!
@3SCAPER00M13
@@CharlesNotBronson That was such a cool yet surreal song.
@emnyolc
this is song was on loop in my brain at age 18
that intro is still one of the things that i will never forget
@DefChains34
m 8 When I work out, I always have the song "23 Full Time Cowboys" in my head as motivation. Doesn't matter how heavy the weight is. Haha
@thomasdupont7186
people who does work out are lame. Plus i used to listen to the Locust in 99. I win you guys lost.
@danielportalski4082
@@thomasdupont7186 Gatekeeping much, enjoy your basement.
@thomasdupont7186
Pretty sure my basement is bigger than yours. I win and you lose (once again). Who cares ? I'm the best anyway....
@dootpooter4740
@@thomasdupont7186 You can't win while having Vitamin D deficiency you dork.