HOWE HOME - THE LISTENER, CD, 2003, THRILL JOCKEY RECORDS, USA
The astounding mastermind behind Giant Sand, Howe Gelb, marks his entry here with this sublimely gorgeous offering ripe with gloom, sadness and the most beautiful self-wallowing this side of Leonard Cohen. The arrangements here are equally lush and sparse, and manage to capture the obscure smokey lounge environment where this album was most likely conceived. The jazz/lounge set-up is ideal for Howe to let loose with his cannon of sharply bent lyrics and his trademark downward-slanted voice, and once he gets going it's hard for him to stop (not that I'm complaining). There is so much in this album that feels natural and gorgeous that it carries an air of mystery to it, and it's these qualities that always keeps me coming back. This record really flew under the radar upon first release, but every review I have read for this album has been nothing short of glowing. It's well-deserved as well, because this is one of those records you can throw on after a really bad day, and though you might not 'feel better', you definitely won't feel alone. THE RED KRAYOLA WITH ART & LANGUAGE - SIGHS TRAPPED BY LIARS, CD, 2007, DRAG CITY RECORDS, USA
The legendary 60s Houston psychedelic wunderkind, Mayo Thompson, along with the associated Arts & Language, released this oddly interesting folk-pop album a few years back on the Drag City label and the result is perplexing. For one thing, Mayo is not the central vocalist on the album, in fact his vocals are completely absent, and instead we get the soothing and lovely breathings and cooings of Elisa Randazzo and Sandy Yang, which makes the album sound drastically accessible to unknowing ears unfamiliar with the Red Krayola's varied discography. Lyrically, most of the tracks are predominantly centered around cats and mirrors; two themes that seem simple but tangent off in humorous and spacey contemplation. Some of the songs even harken back to the indie-folk of The Finches or the indie-pop of The Postmarks, but every now and then they let loose with a jazzier side of operating, and the two vocalists drip with both sensuality and intoxication leaving a very pleasant aftertaste. Regardless of the many directions Red Krayola has taken over the years, this is truly a strange step for a strange band to produce something so normal, yet still oddly weird.BOHACK - IT TOOK SEVERAL WIVES, LP, 1982, FAMILY FRIEND RECORDS, USA
Way back in 1982, before Vincent Gallo was 'Vincent Gallo', there existed a little three-piece outfit known as Bohack that churned out some abrasive, textural, percussive-heavy freak jams. Their only release was this, It Took Several Wives, and it is truly a gem. What we have here are some very self-contained ideas of unlimited jabberwocky presented as an organic industrial opus. Minimalistic in its delivery yet sonically appeasing, it seems that Gallo was riding a different wave than the one he was on while releasing 'When' on Warp Records in 2001. This LP is distinctive in that it brings to mind a lot of Neue Duetsche Welle and 80s cassette artists such as the XX -UU album and Ich Und Die Wirklichkeit through its wankery and manipulation of metal banging and odd percussive fragrances accompanied marginally by piano or even a slithering vocal on one track. Bohack were a very interesting trio and will hopefully be recognized in time as another significant side of the coin, Gallo. Link
Brooklyn duo, Mouthus, have had a pretty prolific stream since their birth in 2002. The group has been known for cranking out the sludge and maximizing the bizarre with a steady stream of releases from a wide variety of labels such as Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! as well as Psych-O-Path, Troubleman Unlimited, Load, Music Fellowship and many many others. This release, which came out on Important Records, is a highlight in the catalogue with it's murky tone, eerie vocals and crunch-skronk atmospherics; it feels like the coming of the apocalypse, if you were trapped in a cave the whole time. A truly adventuresome yet dark as night terrain-crossing plasma feast. Throw it on, light some candles and get haunted with your bad self.
MOUTHUS - FOLLOW THIS HOUSE, CD, 2007, IMPORTANT RECORDS, USA
Brooklyn duo, Mouthus, have had a pretty prolific stream since their birth in 2002. The group has been known for cranking out the sludge and maximizing the bizarre with a steady stream of releases from a wide variety of labels such as Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! as well as Psych-O-Path, Troubleman Unlimited, Load, Music Fellowship and many many others. This release, which came out on Important Records, is a highlight in the catalogue with it's murky tone, eerie vocals and crunch-skronk atmospherics; it feels like the coming of the apocalypse, if you were trapped in a cave the whole time. A truly adventuresome yet dark as night terrain-crossing plasma feast. Throw it on, light some candles and get haunted with your bad self.
No comments:
Post a Comment