El Tryptophan
“Guilt Vacation”
Guilt Vacation
I LOVE EL TRYPTOPHAN. He is one of my heroes. Gryphon Rue, the innovative voice behind El Tryptophan, comes from a legacy of visual artists and political activists. I need not point out his ancestry (Alexander Calder), because it is now time to talk about El Tryptophan himself. A gender-bending folk songwriter is a tough label to live up to, put El Tryptophan does it. His songs are catchy, wonderful tunes with strange, expressionistic lyrics, and an unusual aural track. El Tryptophan is a combination of Peter, Paul, and Mary, mixed with the Magnetic Fields and the Mountain Goats topped up with a touch of Grizzly Bear to bring a fresh new meaning and sound to folk. If you like Neutral Milk Hotel, you will love El Tryptophan.