The song is backed with THE ANGRIEST DOG IN THE WORLD and WHEN EVERYONE’S DEAD. A rough demo version of Idiot Food was available for download from Superman Revenge Squad’s MySpace in 2007 and was featured in several music blog’s ‘best of 2007’ lists. The new version has been completely re-recorded.
“A very sharp lyricist indeed… Absolute genius!” – Tom Robinson on Radio6 Music
"Like Brooklyn's Jeffrey Lewis, Superman Revenge Squad is taking folk music in exciting new directions - accessible, inventive and painfully funny, taking shots at pop culture but never straying too far from endearing self-deprecation. An artist who deserves much more press" – www.indiefolkforever.blogspot.com
“Superman Revenge Squad's Ben Parker is a better songwriter than you and just about anyone” - www.clickyclickymusic.com
Superman Revenge Squad comprises of one man from Croydon, called Ben, playing the acoustic guitar and singing. He used to be in Nosferatu D2, who played their final gig at the Spitz supporting Los Campesinos in March 2007. Since then Ben has been playing around London, York and Brighton as SRS.
The first review proper is in:
"Stirring aggit-folk, with the fragility of Bright Eyes & some hilarious lyrics…" Subba-cultcha http://www.subba-cultcha.com/singles.php
"2. Supermans Revenge Squad - Everyones Dead (God Is In The TV) This is a track from the latest free download release on the wonderful God Is In The TV singles club. The e.p. is called “Idiot Food” and will be avaliable for download from 18th February. In the meantime if you pop along to the God Is In The TV website you can still download the previous three singles club releases. "
Idiot Food will be played on my uni radio show (The Charm Offensive) tomorrow between 12.00 - 1.30pm. We'll also be playing songs from bands who split up too soon, and no doubt some minimal techno from my partner in charm, Campbell.
"There are three songs available, Idiot Food (which has been re-recorded especially for this release), Everyone's Dead and The Angriest Dog in the World. As with all of Superman Revenge Squad's songs there's a certain melancholy humour to the lyrics here that recalls Morrissey, but somehow more pithy and self-effacing. Musically the melodies and structure aren't what you expect, keeping you interested, keeping a high dynamic to a simple guitar and voice basis, and it's this sort of thing that makes it clear why Superman Revenge Squad ends up playing on bills with full bands rather than being buried in acoustic nights where there'd be no chance of gaining any noteriety outside of that scene; not for nothing is Ben the only solo artist on Silver Rocket's rather fine SR 100 3CD Extravaganza.
I was going to try to describe the songs in more detail but the downloads are there for you to try. The important point is not to file this under 'singer/songwriter', 'acoustic' or 'depressing', or if you must do these things, make sure you see your otologist too. After you like what you hear it's worth checking out Nosferatu D2 and Tempertwig since there's a free album download for each of them:" http://ishotthedeputy.com/?q=node/593
Shame none of you showed up to the Lenny Smallman thing (did you...?). SRS played, as did I - and it was fucking great. Idiot Food and Angriest Dog - ha ha ha, you missed out suckers!
8. Superman Revenge Squad - Idiot Food (God Is In The TV) Another track from the forthcoming free downloadable single by the wonderfully named Superman Revenge Squad. I’m thinking I need a t-shirt bearing that moniker before I’m very much older. The single will be released through the God In The TV singles club which in itself is a great idea and I hope to see many more of this kind of singles club in the near future. All three tracks should be avaliable by the time you read this. It’s supposed to be released on 18th February but regardless there are some great previous singles there by the likes of Time.Space.Repeat, The Sailplanes and Small Crew who were featured on this site not so long ago...
"Superman Revenge Squad Idiot Food
God is in the TV
Article written by Adam W
Mar 3, 2008.
One overused, but pertinent, phrase that crops up a
fair amount when talking about contemporary
songwriters is that ‘they don’t seem to have anything
interesting to say…’ This is clearly a concern for
Superman Revenge Squad (aka Ben Parker) who is so keen
to avoid the pitfalls of writing about the same old
shite in the same old way that he goes into overdrive
with the lyrical abstraction on this, his debut
single. It is essentially a break up song but
expressed in a stream-of-consciousness fashion which
deviates from the initial statement of ‘she left me’
by way of ranting about Coldplay, Esther Rantzen, food
poisoning and Jo Whiley pleasuring herself whilst
listening to your own back catalogue. The thing is
it’s all a bit too abstract, meaning by the end of it
we’re left wondering, “mate… what the hell are you on
about”? It’s a shame because musically it’s a decent
and rhythmically strummed ditty with a nice little
melodic hook. It seems in this instance, if you try to
make what you say too interesting; you end up losing
sight of what it was you were trying to communicate in
the first place…
"http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/ is the destination for a three track download only free single from the marvellous Superman Revenge Squad. Is both touching and funny, a rite of passage gauged in t-shirts and hair length. Idiot Food is a shinier version of an already much admired track, a slightly more jaunty pace, but still a vehicle for a flight of fancy through indie music waters. The trio is completed by The Angriest Dog (again a previously available track upgraded). In comparison with the other tracks it's optimistic but only in the sense of being optimistic about getting revenge on someone (parent, lover, off-licence owner – your guess). As in comics as in life, it's hard sometimes not to root for the Superman Revenge Squad."
"What would you do if you were the last person left in the world? You’d probably have quite a few things you’d be able to do that you never had the chance to previously. Ben Parker, aka Superman Revenge Squad, is quite the opposite. He’d rather tell you what he wouldn’t do. He wouldn’t reading books because there will be no girls to see him reading them and give him “knowing looks”. Instead, he’ll just feel sorry for himself.
This kind of lyrical honesty echoes through When Everyone’s Dead. Tracking our lead through the early years of his life through the grunge explosion and the sudden horror of discovering he’s turning into a goth. He’s unapologetically literate, to the point where the song almost stops just so he can rant about that “sexist, talentless twat” Jack Kerouac." http://www.anotherformofrelief.com/2008/03/10/superman-revenge-squad-when-everyones-dead/
SUPERMAN REVENGE SQUAD "Idiot Food" (White Label)
RELEASED? Out now.
SOUNDS LIKE? An edgy and asymetrical and strangely affectionate condemnation-cum look at current pop culture and I
don't want to bore, but this is important because it's rare and it's rare because this is as much a lament as a lambast and it's pop because it's catchy and rhymes and it's punk because it's angry and it's agi-prop-pop because it's acoustic, minimalist ankst and Rem would love this and pevert this and you should, maybe, hear this.
IS IT ANY GOOD? See above.
WHERE IS IT? www.supermanrevengesquad.com
Cardiff zine God Is in the TV introduced me to brilliant Londoners Time…Space…Repeat for the fall column when launching their online singles club. Since then they've consistently slipped quality into my inbox. Superman Revenge Squad's "Idiot Food" is a masterstroke, melding MJ Hibbett gravity with Dan Treacy-level romanticism. It sympathizes with "the record companies facing mass redundancies, because the second album fails to do everything it should."
New review!
Superman Revenge Squad
Idiot Food (God Is In The TV Singles Club)
When writing a song you may want to address the big issues such as those of life, love etc. In doing so it's all too easy to overlook the mundane, the desolate, and the essentially everyday. Superman Revenge Squad combines the two, creating heartfelt tracks wrapped up in deadpan humour. The social commentary could have made things too serious, the resigned tone may have made things too dull, and the playful lyrics too stupid. Fortunately though, the songs are infused with genuine feeling, so they rise above mockery and knowingness.
Overlook the awkward name and you are left with something raw and relevant. The Britain-centric casual, straight up tracks are easily identifiable, and despite the sombre atmosphere, highly enjoyable.
"Folk music has been getting far too earnest these days, but thankfully there are those trying to make it as fun as it is thought-provoking. First there was the fantastic Frank Turner, then the hip-hop influenced Jamie T and now Superman Revenge Squad – known to you and I as Ben Park – is here to add a comical edge to his sparking folk guitars.
Landing somewhere between Billy Bragg and Bill Bailey, ’Idiot Food’ is a brief rant that takes in the dubious quality of takeaway food, being on Later..., rubbish second albums and so much more, making you laugh with each knowing wink, like the whole song is an in joke between just the two of you.
B-side ’The Angriest Dog In The World’ is more serious but its incendiary wit shines through ("I’m going to ignore you for fifteen years!") What’s more, seeing as this is a free download, you have no excuse NOT to check out the new face of folk. 5/5 Gaz Hughes" - http://www.rockmidgets.com
