Songs for the Terrestrially Challenged

Even die-hard Don Caballero fans might not realize that in 1995 — the same year the Pittsburgh instrumental outfit released their widely admired 2 LP — Damon Che, the band’s jaw-dropping drum dynamo, put out another avant-rock masterpiece. As with most of the output by his lesser-known band Thee Speaking Canaries, Che doesn’t play a note of percussion of Songs for the Terrestrially Challenged. Instead he fronts a power trio on guitar and vocals, leading bassist Karl Hendricks and drummer Noah Leger through an epic set of songs that reconcile rough-and-tumble ’90s indie rock with gonzo, Van Halen–informed shred. (The track list even features two covers drawn from VH’s original David Lee Roth era.) It’s a bizarre and audacious blend, especially when topped by Che’s sometimes absurdist-leaning vocal delivery, but the ingenious writing and incendiary performances keep the album compelling all the way through its epic 75-minute run time. Turns out Che never needed a pair of sticks in hand to blow adventurous rock fans’ minds.