Tunes

Silenus kindly hooked me up with some CDs recently. He knows I don't get out much with the new pop/rock, spending most of my time roving jazz and classical and old country and bluegrass these days. "You need to hear some real Indie Rock," he said.



Of the four, this is my favorite, and is perhaps one of the greatest rock albums I've heard recently. Great stuff--innovative and challenging, but very catchy and melodic as well. There's an amazing extended acid rock instrumental called Spec Bebop like a post-trance update of Pink Floyd's Ummagumma.



I'd heard tell of Mr. Smith from many reliable sources (most recently Yo! Adrienne), but never bothered. An excellent CD; love the guitar playing, love the singing. Surprisingly dense arrangements here. Again, quality catchy pop with more going on than strong hooks.



Wow. Like a Beatles album with Robert Fripp producing and playing guitar. Crazy organ-driven stuff--haven't heard such a carnivalesque acid organ since Ray Manzarek. Dark, funny lyrics. Sometimes the songs burst into incadescent supernovae only to peter out too soon, but this is alarmingly good.
I might have to put it away for awhile before I OD.



Very Lou-Reedy, dark and intense and yet upbeat. I don't love it as much as the others, but this is still a very good disc.