Picture what could be described as double-barreled folk music with a pitch-black playfulness and highly unusual instrumentation, consisting of banjo/mandocello/ukulele, baritone sax, and percussion that is less drum kit, and more spoils of an old man's work bench. To witness The Peculiar Pretzelmen in a live setting, you'll find their peculiar brew equal parts barn-burning gospel revival and punk rock (read: more Screamin' Jay Hawkins than Johnny Rotten), with a spirit both terrifying and simultaneously life-affirming, the yin to the yang of a carnival spookhouse someplace miles away from nowhere you've ever been.
From the case-books of the Chicago Police Department:
Officers Amble and Bilge apprehended the White City Rippers, the devilish duo who have held the World's fair in the icy grip of terror with a chaotic combination of cacophonous musical performances, bizarre electronic devices, and a string of grisly murders. Mr. W, a thoroughly rum-soaked rogue, was quoted as saying, "A sharp blade is a safe blade," before collapsing in a paroxysm of laughter. Mr. M, who has the unhinged, psychotic temperament of an Irishman, responded, "My razor goes 'likkey-likkey-likkey' then it goes 'shhhhh'!" The two escaped custody, leaving pools of blood and slices of fingers and toes strewn about their holding cell. Amble and Bilge have gone missing and it is surmised that the Rippers flayed them and used the skins to disguise themselves. The Rippers are rumored to have two accomplices named Mr. Varbelli and Mr. Seeburg. These may be an accordion and a machine used to reproduce the sound of drums, but this has not been corroborated. If you have more information on their whereabouts, please report them.