Mager BooBoo, the solo project of Ottawa-born, Thailand-based musician Robert Bachtell Eastland, has released “Monkey See Donkey Do,” the second single from his upcoming debut album “Oops!” The track follows lead single “Dumb” and uses animal imagery to explore conformity and social conditioning, wrapped in a chant-driven, call-and-response arrangement.
Eastland, 64, describes the project’s sound as “Heavy Irony,” combining layered vocal harmonies, guitars and programmed drums with lyrics aimed at modern life. He performs all instruments and vocals himself, crediting fictional band members for the recordings. According to the announcement, “Dumb” has drawn comparisons to the Pixies, Arctic Monkeys, Nirvana and the Strokes from outlets in Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Italy and the United States since its July 22 release, and was praised by broadcaster Alan Cross of Corus Radio’s A Journal of Musical Things.
Eastland began writing songs at 14 and worked for decades in musical theatre, radio and television, including writing for the CBC-affiliated children’s show “Cowboy Who?” and fronting the band 101 with his brother. He has 51 songs registered with SOCAN. After more than 20 years away from music while working as a teacher, he returned to songwriting and taught himself modern production techniques to build the Mager BooBoo project, which he now records in Thailand alongside his full-time work as a university English instructor.
Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Eric Alper, thatericalper.com.