(Dead Letter) “Music
For Film” is kinda of like the “Hey There Delilah” song, but with the oomph of
a marching band. And there’s ten songs of it. “Music for Television” is kinda
emo with gusto, so it’s “Gustmo.”
Friday, May 24, 2013
Muuy Biien “This Is What Your Mind Imagines”
(HHBTM) Bouncy hardcore that gets brutal
yet remains joyful (even when declaring [I believe] “sonic fuck yous!, and even
duringa ten minute ambient mellow feedback suite. Everything from the crackling
energy to the snotty vocals, to the tonal shifts to the faux Pettibon cover art
make this seem like you should be hearing this in the pit, and if you get
kicked in the head, all the better. I don’t know what their name means in
English, but I do know ne thing…this is very good!
The Figgs “slow charm” Pete Donnelly “When You Come Home”
(Good Land) The Figgs are a great band because they came out the box
as such solid power poppers, but were still able to find garage rock and punk
edges that many skinny tie-ers miss. Establishing themselves as a hardworking
fave band in the early 90s, they were surprisingly sucked up by a major label,
but came out stronger and more determined when they were unsurprisingly spit out by
Capitol, and I have been excited by their steady flow of new material over the
last coupla decades. That said, if you asked me what album to reissue by the Figgs
this decade old dalliance might not be my first pick, as it has moments of uncharacteristic ballad-ish mellow that do not fit into my ideal Figgs mind-picture. But there
are some hefty hooks here, and if you never heard this before you wont be able
to tell when it came out – totally timeless! In other Figg feature stories,
founding Figg-ment Pete Donnelly (also currently one of the Q's in the Terry
Adams-meets-Scott Ligon version of NRBQ) has released a delightfully slick,
garage rock-free power-popped singer-songwriter record that is a treat. Side
two is a one two knockout, with a
rural-ish Replacements sounding “The Only One” followed up by the shuffle soul
of “Can’t Talk at All,” and there’s even a tribute to Tom Ardolino! Not the
Figgiest record, but fabulaously Figg-tastic, nonetheless.
Kleenex Girl Wonder “Let it buffer.”
(This will be Our Summer Records) Chicagoland homeboy Graham
Smith’s product placement triumph band is back with some of his most polished
compositions (though still loose-ush and sorta stream of consciouness sounding).
Wordy, catchy, kinda goofy, occasionally preciously poignant, smart-silliness
is buffer than Buff (from the Fat Boys) and cleverer than Buffy (from the
vampire show).
Family Curse “Twilight Language”
(Doormat) Thick, bloody cuts
of music meat with visceral post punk melody stuff marbled with psyche-like
swirls and effects, all executed at the 11 level of intensity. This curse is
profane in more ways than one!
Helen Money “Arriving Angels”
(Profound Lore) I’ve met this cheerful cellist, and the aptly
named artist has a personality that is totally money. Yet somehow she has
crafted a near-perfect piece of eerie contemporary classical ambient goth that
scares the Bejeezus outta me! Shoul be called Helen Moody!
Japonize Elephants “Melodie Fantastique”
(japonizeelephants.com) It’s been almost twenty
years of the Japonize Elephants confusing me into thinking Indiana is actually
a magical music portal where one massive band can somehow be a vessal for 100
years of weird international pop music, sounding like a 1930s radio show one
second, cartoon hillbillies the next, Middle Eastern belly dance backups a
moment later, stoned Zappa fans after that, Nero-esque distracted fiddlers all
the hile, with quick jaunts into Klezmer, Americana, Mexicana, melodramatic
silent film accompanism, and chanting cult-ism. That all of it might be the
soundtrack to a lost Tex Avery cartoon makes you never want to forget these
Elephants.
Lance Whalen “sweet sugar pie”
(www.lancewhalen.com)
More like Sweet Arsenic Pie, because this is the darkest sounding
Nashville-style roots music since Porter released those drunk murder LPs way
back when.
Paco “A Second Chance Again”
(worldofpaco.com) Paco sings scary songs in a disarmingly
resonant voice, and it either entrancingly creeps you out or creepily entrances
you. Or in my case, both, which has me in a weird, perpetual state of creep-
trance…you can’t un-ring the Paco bell!
Elliot Knapp “Cheap Seats at the Cartesian Theater”
(elliotknapp.com) Scrambling
audio doodling specialness that presents fever-dream narratives done with the
time signatures (and potential dangerousness) of a precariously-balanced pot of
boiling water…or perhaps boiling absinthe.
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