Baltimore's experimental bands

Santa Dads

Members: Connor Kizer, Joshua Kelberman

Don't let their appearance fool you; the members of Santa Dads don't take themselves too seriously. The new CD might be named "Anima Mundi" and the Dads' MySpace page might be littered with means of higher understanding, but anybody who performs almost every show dressed as they do is also about having a good time with their music. Plus, the mythology surrounding Santa Dads' conception holds that Dan Deacon created the band by randomly putting its name on a show flyer, before Kizer and Kelberman even knew they were a band.

Today, Santa Dads' performances are a mix of pseudo-Gregorian chanting with Kelberman strumming the ukelele and Kizer beatboxing. If image and attitude alone isn't enough to lure you in to this world of utter weirdness, it's helpful to know that the CD contains actual songs, as well. These guys aren't a hit machine; the group's most hummable lyric to date is about someone trying to find a place to hang his leg, but the two certainly have carved out a space in the weird niche of Baltimore's experimental music scene.

Level of experimentation: 10 (5 for the costumes and 5 for the instrumentation) 

Web site: www.myspace.com/santadads