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lightning bolt, "wonderful rainbow"
Load
The world's loudest genre-defiant drum and bass duo from Providence, Rhode Island have returned with possibly one of their most dancefloor accessible records ever. In perhaps a tribute, or a response to recent movements to make rock music more dancable (or a clever ploy to woo more female dyed-black hair fans), Wonderful Rainbow is an assault of pure energy. The duo, however, will never be found high up on a stage while a crowd dances below, as they prefer to play on floors exclusively, entirely surrounded in a sweaty, claustrophobic, smelly pit which feeds the super-charged sludge which is feverishly lovable. The album is broken into essentially two sides, and while there are about five songs each side, there's honestly no space big enough to stop for a breath of fresh air. This album is a complete rush. Songs like "On Fire" feature the hot-tempered drum and bass synergy of fast starts and stops while the album's closer, "Duel in the Deep" is very early 1990's post-industrial/big-beat remeniscent in its approach. Be warned, however, as by the time the pulsating beats of the fourth song, "2 Towers" take over, all senses of reality are completely distorted. Drivers might want to not play this album when there's any remote possibility of being pulled over for speeding. It's hard to conceive that these two down-to-earth guys are being clever, deceptive, or ironic, but there's some inexplicable magical sonic happenings when the thunderous repetitious pounding of the bass guitar and bass drum collide at these intervals, almost like the negative images seen only for a brief millisecond when eyes close. Maybe I just don't know enough about psycho acoustics to truly explain it, but it's something that truly must be experienced first-hand to believe. - Jon Whitney
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SONGS: OHIA, "MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO."
Secretly Canadian
Some albums are growers, taking time to work their magic on your mind, however every so often something hits you immediately, hitting all the right switches in you and demanding your rapt attention. With Magnolia Electric Co, Jason Molina's Songs: Ohia had me instantly spellbound. The album opens with "Farewell Transmission," a jaw dropping, eye widening, seven-minute song that is completely epic. The haunting, choral chant of "long dark blues" hints at what we should expect to come. It's the kind of song that's meant to close an album, not begin one, and sets a remarkably high bar for the following tracks. Thankfully, the material that follows is every bit as impressive, delving into those dark blues but also achieving moments of euphoric bliss. Recorded live to tape with a ten piece band, the songs on Magnolia Electric Co. echo the folk rock of Neil Young's 'Harvest,' with Molina emerging as a gifted, versatile songwriter. His lyrics express desire, longing, and hope with fantastic imagery made even more potent by the warm,soulful arrangements. Molina's vocals are bolstered by the sonorous backup vocals of Jennie Benford, which raise the chorus of "Just Be Simple" to an amazing high. Molina steps back from vocals a few times on the album, allowing Lawrence Peters to lend his deep, rugged voice to "The Old Black Hen," making it sound straight out of Nashville's golden age. Magnolia Electric Co. reaches its emotional peak on 'John Henry Split My Heart' which completely cuts loose, the band rocking at its hardest and tearing through as Molina reprises his chant of "long dark blues" tying the theme together at the highest moment of intensity. The closing coda of "Hold On, Magnolia" takes the album to a gentle and satisfying conclusion that still makes you want to listen all the way through again immediately. A limited run of the album includes nine demo tracks of the songs that went on to become Magnolia Electric Co. giving a fascinating look into Molina's process, as well as the added bonus of tracks and verses that were left behind. Songs: Ohia have crafted a masterpiece that is guaranteed to dazzle, its melodies inscribing themselves in your mind and urging you to sing along. Don't resist. - Michael Patrick Brady
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KLING KLANG, "THE SUPERSPOSITION"
Rock Action
With a name like Kling Klang you might expect a band to have some sympathies with a very famous seminal German band. This would be a fair assumption, and whilst Kling Klang prefer to look the part of kids from seventies Brit sit coms rather than showroom dummies, they are so deeply rooted in Kraftwerk and Neu! homage that it'd be painful if they weren't so damn good. What they add to the mix are full on rock dynamics, largely courtesy of their puffing Chris Cutler-clone drummer Ali McDonald. First time I witnessed their triumphant analog synth fanfares they were supporting Trans Am in a sold out hometown Liverpool show which head Klangster Joe McLaughlin promoted. It was a tough act for Trans Am to follow. Since then they've rolled out the synth banks to Manchester a couple of times and been a hoot each time. Whilst at least one detractor was heard to mutter curses about Yes at their show last week at The Brown Barrel, a much better comparison was Kraftwerk meets Metallica, which still sells them short as comparisons so often do. The Superposition is their third EP, following two collectible seven inches and a few compilation appearances. It's also by far their best, and the opening track "Heavydale" is the one where Joe whips out his old guitar and rocks out plenty. "Superposition 1+2" is a droning and rumbling underground radioactive trashtrain ride, but a rhythmic pop sensibility is never abandoned. "Radium" is a pure orange sunburst of uplifting timewarped splendor, strangely Elizabethan keyboard chops suggesting the score that a babbling gaggle of monkeys wrote for a Shakespeare play conspiracy. Wherefore art thou, babyface? What Kling Klang achieve is a melding of musics that thirty years ago might well have seemed to have been in opposition. Perhaps with tongues in cheeks, they call themselves Kraut punks, and gleefully trash any last wall between prog and punk, two genres which never were as mutually exclusive as some fusty purists would like us to believe. This has been far and away my most listened to single from the first two months of 2003. Mogwai have asked Kling Klang to open for them on their upcoming UK tour, so be sure to get to the shows early! - Graeme Rowland
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Thomas Köner, "Unerforschtes Gebiet"
Die Stadt
This disc is the perfect accompaniment to the cold greyness of late winter. The music, low frequency drones fading slowly in and out, over a consistent, gentle rumbling, and the packaging, adorned with antique maps of the Arctic, suggest exploration of desolate, frozen expanses described by the title (which translates to Unexplored Area). The layers of sounds move so unhurriedly that they are reassuringly peaceful, despite their frigid bleakness and vaguely ominous tonality. What is striking about this recording is that Köner, in addition to his excellent usage of sonic color; and texture, displays a very musical sensibility; the phrasing and pitches of the drifting bass tones hint at melody, albeit a glacial one. Throughout the two parts of this composition, the rumbling is joined at times by what sounds like an icy wind, and Köner also employs a heavily filtered noisy source, subtly shifting to resemble radio crackle, distant aircraft, and a strong rain. Apparently, much of this originated as a recording of a projector showing a piece of dusty, blank 16mm film; this fits well with the archaic isolationism at the core of Köner's work. Though the piece is quite languid and pretty static, the sounds are so deep that this is not a negative criticism. The third track—a bonus that was added to this CD reissue of the original picture LP release—is from a video soundtrack contribution. The music is similar in style to the previous parts but is much simpler and sparser, although it contains some additional instrumentation in the form of mellow synthesizer-like sounds and reverb-heavy squeaking. The voice of what must be the protagonist in the film narrates letters to another character in which she discusses light, darkness, space, and distance. While it is relatively unobtrusive and fits the existential mood, outside the context of the video, I find the dialogue a little distracting and prefer the first two tracks. The main part of this album far exceeded my expectations; and in spite of, or perhaps because of, its cold emptiness, it really creates an appealing atmosphere. - Steve Smith
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the dresden dolls, "a is for accident"
Important
I first met Amanda Palmer eight years ago. After seeing her first perform at piano in her parents house with a small crowd gathered around, I knew she could be a star. After seeing the Dolls perform just over a week ago, I was completely wrong. Amanda Palmer is beyond potential star, she is the next rock and roll savior. It didn't come without the addition of a fantastic drummer she found in Brian Viglione. After years of seeing Palmer play solo, the change is completely evident as the crowds are now staggering (a sold out capacity of Middle East downstairs is 575 people and their show was pretty damned close), many of which are singing along and rolling in the joy. A full-length record is now in its final stages before release, but until then, this CD is a perfect way to catch up on the best of the last couple years. It consists of 11 popular crowd favorites, recorded in concert venues both large and small, rehearsal spaces, and radio station studios. Palmer doesn't simply play the piano, she makes it her bitch, and Viglione's drum work is tactfully refined and carefully reserved, playing off Palmer's tight-stopping and sassy cues which change their mind like the most stereotypical woman would demand you to allow. The songs are always entertaining, far beyond expectation in every way, both in their off-kilter rhythmic motives and peculiar subject matter, owing as much to theatrical cabaret-type tunes as to the Pink Dots. Sure, she sings about love, but I'm sure these songs are all purely fiction from the mind of a dreamer who sleeps with a notepad by the bed. "Bank of Boston Beauty Queen" is an autobiographical reflection on growing up a goth teen, "Christopher Lydon" is the story of Palmer's obsession with a former local NPR celebrity, and the deep, direct power of "Will," with strings added is sensationally appetite-wetting for the full-length record (especially with the lyric, "I don't mind if you read while I'm coming!"). As this disc collects recordings from a number of sources, the sound is, expectedly inconsistent, but fear not, this will be a much sought after item in the years to come. - Jon Whitney
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the one ensemble of daniel padden
Catsup Plate
Eric Idle was on the Daily Show last week and he said something that stuck with me: "Everybody from Leicester is a bit weird." Of course he was saying this in reference to his dear friend, the late Graham Chapman, but it can probably easily be applied to Volcano the Bear (and most likely a number of people from Leicester), as their music is, well, a bit weird. In addition, Vocano the Bear's music is also (not unlike Mr. Chapman) both very charming and witty. Fellow bear, Daniel Padden's first solo release actually doesn't come without the help of other Volcano members and additional friends. As weird as the instrumentation can get—with kazoos, ballophon, and other unidentifiable sounds—the music on this disc is stunningly pleasant. Padden's solo debut is a very closely knit aural tapestry of dreamlike proportions, with off-the-cuff sung vocal tracks, string pieces, and piano tinklings. While it's still heavily-rooted in experimental and improvisational music, these are all songs with well-crafted structures, often with a loop (piano, clarinet, percussion) beginning the song, and an exceptionally played instrument taking the lead. Whether it's the drone from an accordion-ish sounding instrument on "Scratch Apparatus," the pretty vocals on "Fledgling," or a twisted calliope-like circus sounds of "Spiders on Ice," not one song on here sounds like a failed attempt at composition. With a growing number of improvisational musicians and groups popping up, occasionally gaining more attention than deserved, it's an extra special treat to have somebody around who can still write a coherent song and piece together a well thought-out album. More solo and side projects from the Bears are due later on this year and I'll be anxious to hear them all. - Jon Whitney
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the phenomenological boys, "melody, melody, melody, & more melody"
Tomlab
Even if I didn't know the truth, I would seriously think that this debut album is the result of somebody who clearly listens to a LOT of music and is a big fan of numerous styles of unique recordings. From the opening "Intro," the stage is set by a collage of various different styles cut and pasted together. With a fierce drum solo, the album launches into full gear with the catchy "He's So Dumb," paying homage to laid back funk with a sexy bass riff, ample percussion and clever lyrics. After the interlude, "Everything's a Shade of Green," is the album's finger-snapping 1950's doo-wop tribute, but after this point, the styles become less clearly distinguishable. Songs like the vocal (but lyric-less) "Visit to Venus," and the endearing "Will There Be Yodeling in Heaven" are possibly two of the most optimistic songs I've heard in a long while, and with what sounds like toy xylophones, Hawaiian guitar, nose holding and a parade of sound effects samples, the music appropriately backs up the lyrical optimism. "The Invented Part of the World" is oddly remeniscent of very, very early LPD cassette-only recordings, "What Do You Take Me For" could easily be an undiscovered gem, as a future outtake of one of those adult-contemporary songs from the 1970s piped through the loudspeakers at drug stores, and songs like "Let's Get Rid of Richard," and "The Anti-Beard Song (Go Go Goatee)" push the humor card a bit too far for my tastes, but I'm sure can easily become mega indie radio hits. "I Like What You Like," however, is so irresistably sweet, moms all over the world should take a hint. Perhaps if mothers sang their children to sleep at night, there might be less bitterness in the world. There is hope. This album is evidence. - Jon Whitney
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GIDDY MOTORS, "MAKE IT POP"
Fat Cat
This takes me back twelve years or so to the days when I'd rarely entertain a platter on the turntable that didn't involve tunes with a lot of distorted guitar and shouting. That can still be a very good thing, and if I was some kid weened on the post-rock continuum, whatever the hell that may be, I'd probably have my socks rocked by Giddy Motors. However, I've got so many old AmRep and Touch and Go albums and suchlike that do this kind of thing with a tad more venom that I can't help but have a few reservations. If I saw the band play a gig I'd almost definitely be more enthusiastic than I am sat at home with CD spinning, but that's always been the nature of the rockbeast. There's always room for one more rock band who can actually rock without resorting to corny old gestures. There seems to be a rising wave of post-grunge riffers storming venues around the UK. Alongside such scene stalwarts as Part Chimp and Macrocosmica and relative newcomers such as Terashima, Giddy Motors may well be the most inventive of this boisterous bunch. My main criticism is that the singer sounds a bit forced and silly at times, particularly on "Sassy" where his ranting cockney wideboy head-inside-out delivery begins to irk, but this is compensated for by a tight rhythm section who just keep moving and plying all bad manner of unpredictable feints and parries. Any band who gets compared to the Birthday Party has a lot to live up to though, and if they can muster even half the intensity it'll be well worth hearing from a stage. "Dog Hands" is more like the Jesus Lizard replacing David Yow with that weird crooner from US Maple. Giddy Motors show they're capable of subtlety and light and shade subtlety on "Venus Medallist," the albums' deceptively lulling penultimate track that pulls off a lovely moodshift with cello, space synth whoosh and prettily plucked acoustic guitar. Steve Albini has recorded this debut album from the south London-based trio so you can be assured that it hits hard and precise. Unlike the drastically overrated and slightly irritating Mclusky, Giddy Motors throw up a few quirks, sparks and spasms that hint that the best is yet to come if they can just keep pushing. When I think about the light years Boredoms have travelled from the Anal By Anal EP, I hope that a band like Giddy Motors can go a similar distance as it could be an exciting voyage to experience. The next step in their jagged journey comes courtesy of the album's opening assault "Magmanic" lifted as a single. This is accompanied by a twisted bad German cover song obscurity from the Swiss group Grauzone, who I'd never heard of before, and a more intense take on the album's "Bottle Opener" retitled "Tight Sauce," which might be their finest few minutes. The single gives a pretty good idea of what the band are all about, and the refrain "It started changing," could almost be a self referential manifesto of sorts, but the album is more filling. They should be hitting venues around the UK right about now. - Graeme Rowland
New Wet Kojak, "This is the Glamorous"
Beggar's Banquet
After their disastrous EP, No. 4, I was really hoping New Wet Kojak would find a way to get back to the ultra-sexy grooves of the past and obliterate the stain that release had left on them. Early reports about this new album suggested I might be horribly disappointed. NWK had decided to record a concept album about consumer culture. I was worried, but I shouldn't have been. This is the real New Wet Kojak. This is the Glamorous is that rare album that defines a band. It's the album NWK has always had in them but had never released. The time is definitely now. Perhaps the work its two members did with their other band, Girls Against Boys, on the soundtrack to the film Series 7 has affected the band as a whole in a new way. The soundtrack's best track, "One Dose of Truth," is the blueprint for this whole CD. Scott McCloud's lyrics are still laughable at times, but the stream of consciousness way they come out on these songs makes it seem like someone watching a TV or reading a magazine and saying whatever comes out. Musically, NWK are closer to GVSB than they ever have been, and that's a very good thing. This is amplified sex rock with horns and keyboard effects. This is the club sound of nowhere that should be everywhere. Track after track is another gem. "In a world of shampoo" and "I just want to be unique, just like everyone else" might seem pedestrian on paper, but set to this music they are chants designed to inspire booty-shaking. "It's in the effects you select, it's in your cigarette" and "Like it's in me and it's in you" on the quasi-title track, with its low bassline and chiming guitar melody, make for smooth sailing. There's no need to speak of highlights, because there isn't a track on this album that is a lowlight. I'm with Mikey on this one: I like it, I like it. This is the New Wet Kojak, just like the Old Wet Kojak. Only better. "And if you haven't got it yet you might as well be dead." 'Nuff said. - Rob Devlin
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Stars of the Lid, "Avec Laudenum"
Kranky
Many US fans of SOTL had not heard this album when their 2-CD epic, The Tired Sounds of... was put out on Kranky, so the label released this 2000 full-length on these shores in time for the band's East Coast tour last fall. Originally released on the Belgian Sub Rosa label, Avec Laudenum was a shift in the science that is SOTL, as they tried more structure on their long, ambient compositions. After hearing Tired Sounds and listening to this release, the gap between their earlier works and the splendor of that set is filled in quite nicely. Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie recorded Avec Laudenum by mail, but you couldn't tell by what you hear. It's just as warm, dense, and compelling as their earlier works, but there's more of a desire to make everything move like a symphony. The songs start off with minimal melodies on keyboard or sampler, instruments are added, and the ingredients swell and soar, expanding to a large, full sound. For a band like Yo La Tengo to record music to accompany nature films seems somewhat odd; Stars of the Lid would not be out of place at all to record an album of music for aquariums. It's the kind of music you want to relax to, to put on before you go to sleep to work new dreams for you, or to learn about the secrets of the deep or the universe. It prepares your mind for almost anything. The first three tracks, "The Atomium" parts one through three, are a hint at the multi-part extended works to come, with a very simple note progression that shifts through three tones along its path. Encompassing half the album, it was the duo's most ambitious effort yet, and also their most moving. It ends abruptly before the nine-minute "Dust Breeding," a swell-and-buzz track where the space between the notes is just as important as the notes themselves. The echo on the track is particularly effective, but as it fades away to let in more crystalline keyboard sounds you'd never miss it. The album closes with the beautiful "I Will Surround You," proof positive that you don't need much in terms of instruments and notes to evoke tears. For fans it is a must, and for others I would recommend this release as an introduction to the band. It's just enough of a taste to prepare you for the outer reaches of their brand of orchestral drone. - Rob Devlin
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Kaada, "Thank You For Giving Me Your Valuable Time"
Ipecac
This is an old record in more ways than one. Released in 2001 in Norway, it was recently picked up and released by Ipecac this February. The album is a mix of old-timey soul, rhythm & blues and doo-wop timbres and samples pasted together very well with electronics and live instrumentation. Kaada is essentially Eric Kaada and four powerbooks, augmented with live drums and bass and a mixture of sampled and live vocals in the aforementioned doo-wop and soul vein. I really liked the fact that the songs aren't stereotypically "electronic"—no fast cuts of noise for no good reason except to be "glitchy", no weird electronic noises for the sake of weird electronic noises. Throughout the album, I found myself humming along and enjoying the songs because they're fun and poppy enough to do that. Between the thunderous rolling drums of "Black California" and the hypnotic second single, "No You Don't" with it's sway between sad and creepy. Speaking of "No You Don't", check out the video, over at Kaada's website is worth checking out, as is the website itself, with background info on the songs themselves and some very nice content., and the unique juxtaposition of sounds that feel old and sounds that can't be old, I found myself listening to this record over and over, because I just wanted the music to not stop. - Dave Piniella
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Herman Düne/Cerberus Shoal, "The Whys and Hows of Herman Düne and Cerberus Shoal"
North East Indie
Cerberus Shoal have a long history of interesting musical choices, and their latest split-EP series is no exception. Available in limited edition copies with varied types of original artwork on different media, the series features the Shoal working with artists they know personally and/or greatly respect with no set format. There are no pre-arranged rules, only that both collaborators agree to a loose theme of some sort, or a method to the madness. In the case of this initial offering in the series, the Düne and the Shoal each recorded original songs with little vinettes in between. The songs are acoustic instrument-based, and are all about love or personal relationships in various forms. It sounds almost like a combination doomed for failure, but the end product will surprise fans of both bands. Herman Düne's material is simple and quick with pleasing melodies and energy, with themes that start light and energetic and end dark and labored. "I Want a Woman" features a brilliant spoken-word interlude about a planned date, and lamented harmony vocals about the plight of the lonely man. "If Someone Loves You" is musically playful, but the theme is a little more urgent and depressed with its chorus: "If someone loves you, it sure is not me." They definitely prepare you for the tone of Cerberus Shoal on "That Woman is a Murderess," where sparse violin and percussion meet with the haunting vocal of David-Ivar Herman Düne. A strange vinette follows, and the Shoal saunter in with "Sweetie," far from the purely loving song that its title might suggest. Middle Eastern instrumentation and rhythms meet with a grand choral vocal performance. It's spine-tingling, and when the lyrics do eventually reveal their quiet horror, it's no real surprise, but it still raises hairs. Their other proper song, "Bouzouki," has the same general vocal performance, with a greater concentration on harmony, and the pace of "Hava Nagila." You can see, especially at the end, how both bands incorporated elements of the other, making sounds that stir and slide as well as they jab and jump. Collaborations like this are rare, and I certainly hope these groups find time to work together proper in a studio. I can hardly wait to hear what they'd conjure up then. - Rob Devlin
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"Give Peas a Chance"
Crippled Dick Hot Wax!
Lovingly culled from the rarest of flexi discs found hidden in European used vinyl shops, compilations like Beat at Cinecitta and Popshopping brought to the light of day scores from Italian films lost to history and German commercial jingles from decades ago. Crippled Dick's latest collection seems loosely bound together thematically: 21 pieces from various TV and movie soundtracks from the '60s and '70s. However, these "peas" as the liner notes call them, call attention to Crippled Dick Hot Wax!'s mission of rescuing these tiny gems from disappearing into obscurity. It's easy to imagine that a vast majority of these tunes came from police thrillers or suspense films, because they're jam packed with both tension and an air of cool. They're often fast-paced and funky, with a streak of eeriness or mystery to them -- and lest we forget, they're also catchy as hell. The sound is dated, but that's part of the appeal. There's blaring horns, wah-wah bass, jazzy percussion and exotic flourishes like xylophones and violins tossed in for good measure. Tracks like Paul Kuhn's "Gateway to a Crime" and Made in Germany's "Sprungbrett 1" are choc full of enduring vibrancy, while others like Günter Platzek's "Heavy Steel" embody 1970s smoothness. Sadly, the packaging lacks extensive information on each of the pieces and artists, which is unusual for CDHW! releases.
Although this CD will be a must-have for anyone with a taste for kitsch or retro, it's also genuinely well-done music that anyone could have an appreciation for. Sure, it's fluffy as a roll of toilet paper, but who cares? This compilation is the perfect soundtrack for trying to outrun the police in an Alfa Romeo, getting into a shootout with jewel thieves, or maybe just as background music to a groovy cocktail party. - Jessica Tibbits
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twilight circus, "the essential collection"
M
I didn't quite know what to make the first time I heard Ryan Moore's dub project, whether it just a side project, an experiment, or a joke. Six years and 10 releases later, the jury has returned with a verdict, and it is that the Circus is something solid, reliable, and fantastic enough to keep fresh and enjoyable with every listen. For the as of yet unconverted, this disc is a great recap, as it collects 12 tracks from the years. All of Moore's dub is instrumental, completely void of laptop glitchery, and only ever employing the usage of old school delays for effects. Popular old favorites like "Lowell and Nine" and "Horsie" are representative of the catchier early bass, organ, drum pieces, while "Fams," employs a twangy guitar in a very Spaghetti Western-like ghost town dub, and songs like "Trinity" only ever add subtle instruments like melodica to the mix. Moore might not be doing anything that stretches the perceptions of the universe beyond all galactic possibilities, but what he does, he does exceptionally well. - Jon Whitney
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PULSEPROGRAMMING, "TULSA FOR ONE SECOND"
Aesthetics
Prior to this album, my only exposure to Pulseprogramming came via a split EP with Signaldrift and a couple of compilation appearances, all of them striking me as being pleasant but average work that was generally indistinguishable from the ever expanding glut of "indie-tronica" artists. When I heard their track "Blooms Eventually" on a Wire Magazine compilation a few months back, I immediately fell in love with it, despite the twee lyrics and the use of slightly hokey filter effects on the vocals. That track opens Tulsa For One Second, and while it would be hard for any record to hold to a consistent quality after such a near-perfect intro, the eight tracks that follow do a pretty good job of it. The record flits back and forth from instrumental to vocal tracks, and it's hard to deny that the lyrics aren't exactly deep or thought-provoking ("Off To Do Showery Snapshots" includes a quote from "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"!) - but that's not a great concern as this is an album that is more about mood and music than stories and messages. Tracks such as "Don't Swell Up You Glass Pocket" and "All Joy And Rural Honey" evoke a similar sweet and pure melancholy as Múm and various Morr Music artists, while the more energetic "Largely Long-Distance Loves" throws layers of gorgeous melody over a minimal tech-house throb. The disc closing "Bless The Drastic Space" wraps things up nicely with groovy glitch-beats, mellow piano lines and some almost psychedelic background swirls, followed after a couple of minutes of silence by a strange little music box deconstruction. On top of all that, the packaging is really nifty, featuring a cardboard sleeve that can be folded out and built into a grey and desolate looking house. The imagery is perhaps a little starker than the music deserves, but it's still a nice touch to this enjoyable project. - Greg Clow
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We know that sometimes these CDs are somewhat challenging to find, which is why we have a community section which can be used to obtain nearly everything available on this site. |
Gus Van Sant "returns to his indie roots" with Gerry, a film starring Matt
Damon and Casey Affleck. Notice the statement above is surrounded in
quotes. That quote is generally followed a few sentences later by some
prose comparing Gerry to The Blair Witch Project, Waiting for Godot,
or even an Ansel Adams photo. Unfortunately, what these reviewers often
forget to tell you is that Gerry nicks the bad parts of these films
without adding anything good back into the void.
