A. Crusher: Former Local Natives Bassist's Wonderfully Weird New Project

What the hell ever happened to Andy Hamm? It's a question plenty of avid Local Natives fans have wondered about since the band's original bassist was unexpectedly ousted from the group in 2011. Turns out that bump in the road led to some pretty intriguing work from the former OC dweller–especially if you're into campy horror and Mike Patton. Under the new moniker, Andrew Crusher (A. Crusher for short), Hamm unleashed his debut music video for “Pebbles Massive,” the lead single for his debut album Melted Bodies Vol. 1, released independently in September.

One look at this video, centered on a young boy and a homicidal set of demon claymation teeth, and it's apparent that A. Crusher has a totally different agenda than the pristine, FM indie pop melodies of his former band. Lo-fi, shoegazy synth and Hamm's minimalist vocals are the backdrop to five minutes of holiday bloodshed that any fan of old-school horror flicks is likely to enjoy. In the context of the entire album, which melds piano balladry with metal/punk guitar fuzz and haunting atmospherics, this is one of the mellower tracks–which oddly makes it's pairing with the video even more perfect. Directed by Jared Iacino with animation from Cam Leeburg and Zeb Wells (who've both worked on Adult Swim's Robot Chicken), Hamm's video is his chance to exhibit his dark, bedroom project and Mr. Bungle-esque sense of humor.

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Throughout Melted Bodies, Hamm pays homage to the work of horror auteurs like David Cronenberg and Nobuhiko Obayashi, as well as to slasher classics like Texas Chain Saw Massacre. “It's something I've loved since I was a little kid, so the album was a way to outwardly express that for the first time,” says Hamm. He also says the project helped him find his voice as an artist as he recorded the project with a single mic in a storage unit outside his house. “I don't have Mariah Carey kind of vocals, and I wouldn't really even want to, but I've always been into doing voices and sound effects.”

If kitschy, creepy and creative are three elements you look for in your music, consider this video an intro to your newest local obsession.

Peep the new video, which premiered this week on Noisey.

See also
10 Metal Albums to Listen to Before You Die
10 Goriest Album Covers
10 Most Satanic Metal Bands

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