Touch-Tone Telephone
| "Touch-Tone Telephone" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by Lemon Demon | |
| from the album Spirit Phone | |
| Released | February 29, 2016 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:42 |
| Songwriter(s) | Neil Cicierega |
| Producer(s) | Neil Cicierega |
| Audio | |
| "Touch-Tone Telephone" on YouTube | |
"Touch-Tone Telephone" is a song by American pop band Lemon Demon, a musical project created by American musician Neil Cicierega. It was released on February 29, 2016, as the second track of Lemon Demon's seventh studio album, Spirit Phone.
Background
In 2009, Cicierega produced a demo titled "Ivanushka", based on the plot of the film Jack Frost. This demo would later be adapted into "Touch-Tone Telephone".[2] Following four years of development, 11 previews of songs intended for Spirit Phone were showcased in 2012, with "Touch-Tone Telephone" featured as the unnamed penultimate song.[3] The song would release on Spirit Phone on February 29, 2016.[4] In Spirit Phone's 2018 commentary, Cicierega states that the song's perspective is from "a dedicated caller into a radio show who has it all figured out", calling it a "big rant of preemptive defensiveness and saying you're going to do something without ever doing it".[2]
Composition
"Touch-Tone Telephone" is an uptempo new wave song. It instrumentally features strings,[4] bass, drums, synth, and keytar, with the Collegian describing its "whimsical sound" as reminiscent of Lemon Demon's fourth studio album, Damn Skippy (2005).[5] The song's hook contains embellishments of piano and violin underneath Cicierega singing the song's title,[1] with the bridge using a phone ringing sound effect to set up a crescendo into the final chorus. Following the lyrical end of the song, "Touch-Tone Telephone" closes with a minute of experimental synthesizers, described by the Vector as "melting into space".[4] Cicierega composed this portion to decompress the song and create a soundscape that transitions into "Cabinet Man".[2]
Music video
An unofficial music video for "Touch-Tone Telephone" directed by Chris Spargo was released on October 30, 2020. The video stars Tom Wohlfahrt, who dances and acts out the song's lyrics in a room with an evidence board, a push-button telephone, and a projector. After the creation of the video's concept, filming took four days and production took three weeks, with its close release date to Halloween matching the paranormal themes of Spirit Phone.[6]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Oxford International Film Festival | Best Music Video | "Touch-Tone Telephone" | Won | [7] |
| Birmingham Film Festival | Nominated | [8] | |||
| Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival | Nominated |
Reception
Mashable included "Touch-Tone Telephone" on their 2019 Halloween playlist, calling the song one of many "real gems".[9] It additionally received inclusion on McDonald's "Grimace's Birthday Playlist".[10] "Touch-Tone Telephone" has amassed over 100 million streams across Spotify and YouTube, making it Lemon Demon's biggest song.[4]
Personnel
- Neil Cicierega – vocals, instruments, programming, engineering, production
- Mark Kramer – remastering (Needlejuice pressings 2018-2021)
- Angel Marcloid – remastering (Needlejuice pressings 2022–)
- Ming Doyle – cover artwork
References
- ^ a b Fantano, Anthony (March 10, 2016). "Lemon Demon - Spirit Phone". The Needle Drop. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ a b c Spirit Phone (Media notes). Lemon Demon. Needlejuice Records. 2018.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Cicierega, Neil (April 3, 2012). "It's over 5 minutes of cool excerpts from 11 various songs I have been working on". Tumblr. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Dimaya, Aaron (November 5, 2023). "A Spectacular Halloween Album If You Still Want to Stay Spooky". The Vector. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ The Collegian (March 7, 2016). ""Spirit Phone" shows Lemon Demon's growth". The Collegian. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ Spargo, Chris (February 9, 2021). "Touch Tone Telephone - Behind The Scenes". YouTube. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ Thompson, Jake (March 30, 2021). "Oxford Film Festival names 2021 winners". Oxford Eagle. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ "Chris Spargo". 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ Houghtaling, Ellie (October 11, 2019). "Here's a Halloween playlist for all your spooky music needs". Mashable. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ Varvaris, Mary (July 7, 2023). "Lorna Shore & Cannibal Corpse Feature On McDonald's 'Grimace's Birthday' Spotify Playlist". The Music. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
External links
- Lemon Demon official website
- Spirit Phone on the Lemon Demon Bandcamp
- Spirit Phone on the Needlejuice Records Bandcamp