Ernest Jenning Recording Co.
Drew Isleib is a singer-songwriter in the very traditional style whouses occasional untraditional (read: electronic) elements to bring hissound across. Recorded entirely by Isleib in his makeshift portablestudio, his debut is chock-full of good songs, from the downtroddenalbum opener to the fun-loving jangly pop of "Orion." Isleib plays allof the instruments on these songs, and it is the true mark of thetroubadour that he uses whatever he needs to get the song across.Programmed drums, guitar, electric piano, what have you; Isleib playsit with modest skill and intent. He's been billed as the guy who usedto show up at your high school and college parties with an acoustic andstart playing songs to anyone who would care, only better. I wish Icould have had Drew at my parties, because these songs are meant to beheard by that crowd. There is a slight preoccupation with alcohol onthis release (appropriate for high school and college parties), andenough variation that it would serve as a good mix. But I wasparticularly impressed with Isleib's voice and how expressive it is.Different songs feature a different voice, as his delivery changesappropriately to suit the song. It's a rare trait, as many vocalistsget stuck in the rut of writing music to match the voice. And even ifthe sound strays from the traditional sounds of acoustic guitar andmild percussion, the voice still fits. Isleib even tours the countryplaying at people's houses on their couches. It's ultimately the waymusic this familiar is meant to be heard. So kick back, check out thesamples, and relax. Cause Drew ain't goin' anywhere just yet.
samples:
The idea behind the 'In the Fishtank' series sounds really good: get two (or more) bands touring the area (broadly, the Netherlands,) and get them to record a live album in the studio, spontaneously. Like most things that look great on paper, the execution fails gloriously, and on many levels. Maybe Sonic Youth was having a bad day, or possibly the I.C.P. or The Ex took over a whole lot of the sound on this album, but please, if you have anything else you'd rather do, don't hesitate to do that instead of listening to this album. It has all the annoying qualities of a pretentious John Zorn release (and none of the positive, like the amazing musicianship of some of the early John Zorn stuff.) The rush of recording constraints forced on the groups probably didn't help the creation of their numbered tracks. The seemingly random numbering of the tracks gives me the impression that these pieces were just made with no intent in mind, just to take up time. Weird atonal honking horns are ok, but not if they're boring you to death. If you like Sonic Youth (or any of the other bands,) at all, avoid this thing like the plague.
The fourth release from COH this year is the first all-new recording. Four paintings and four pieces represent the year's four seasons, recorded and painted from summer 2001 to spring 2002 by Ivan Pavlov and his wife, deliberately conceived and packed on a limited double 12" vinyl set in a glossy gatefold cover.
I don't think I will ever get tired of the novelty of locked-groove records. Originally released in 2000, this compilation is making its rounds again. What sets this pile of locked grooves apart from other similar releases like RRR 500 or Non's 'Pagan Muzak' is that a large number of these are actually based on beats.
Just when it seems that there's no such thing as any uplifting sounds in indie rock, a quiet voice is heard from the other shores from what could be a distant time. The Clientele are based in London, but could easily be a dead ringer for the Mersey sound of the late 1960s.
Not to be outdone by retro obsessiveness of analogue (and oddly enough days of the week), the latest Lali Puna song to surface comes perfectly equipped with crackly 78 rpm vinyl sounds. The song is a bit of a departure for the group as it is has beefier percussion and beat sounds, a slowed down tempo, and the spoken drone of Valerie with a minimal number of musical instrument sounds. It's almost as if this is the band's attempt at creating their impression of a surrealistic musicbox number to be used as the musical backrdop for a Brothers Quay short.
I think there's only so many ways you can describe four-minute pretty little melodies. There is something, however, in this Isan recording from 2002 which makes it somewhat sounding more like a strong A-side for this single than the B-side of the split with Lali Puna.
Much like Isan, Xian Hawkins has also built a strong career on a number of incredibly noteworthy electronics-laden 7" single releases. This one is no exception. Released shortly after his full-length 4AD debut, the A-side is a brand new song while the B-side, "The Fourth Way," is an alternate version of "The Fourth Day" from the 'Nonument' LP.
Rumah Sakit craft instrumental rock with fierce energy and a bizarre structure that achieves stunning results. After their debut album on Temporary Residence, the members took a hiatus to concentrate on their other projects. Then they recorded some more, and those tracks appear here, but now, they're on hiatus again. Only two albums in three years might make some wonder about their longevity, and, in fact, there are rumors that this album may be the band's swan song.
