The best word to sum up Katzenjammer Kabarett is probably insane – and it works incredibly well for them. Insanity can be a compliment when referring to artists, and it certainly is in this case. They merge the sounds of almost every music genre, making it impossible to put them into one category. Katzenjammer is the German word for “hangover” or “a loud, discordant noise,” which somehow describes them, even while they still manage to be charming.

Their CD, Grand Guignol & Varietes, doesn’t have any rhyme or reason to it; you won’t find two songs alike. Mary Komplikated, the lead singer, adds glam/punk vocals that tie it all together. Each song gets into a different piece of your mind, making an incredibly gripping album that you spend as much time trying to figure out as enjoy. Great art should not only be beautiful at first glance, but should keep you interested and make you think. It’s rare to find a band that challenges music as we know it and Katzenjammer Kabarett does that while still making it entertaining.

Songs such as “Collage” and “Wondered Colonel Killed Couple” jump around with odd sounds and crazed vocals, while “Nothing But His” and “Once Eliot Turned Ugly in His Lover’s Bed” are smoother and more organized. “Jack’s Parade” samples from The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack and is also a standout track. There is something for every music lover on this smorgasbord of an album.