Last Visible Dog – 045/46
In particular regarding my overworked flippancy last ish, I'd like to make some amends for the review of the Last Visible Dog label's The Invisible Pyramid 2CD compilation. Not only was my track-by-track for the first CD half-assed and rushed, I didn't even mention the second disc at all! What can I say, sometimes my beloved off-the-cuff-ness takes over my common sense (like when I coin a phrase like "beloved off-the-cuff-ness").
For example, I couldn't even remember disc one's tracks 7 and 8 right after listening to them, and now they're two of the most memorable on the whole album. Track 7 is by Thuja (the sound of dark blue smoke finding it's way into the fissures in a football field made of ice at 4AM in the morning) and Track 8 is by that (I think I can spell this right) Kemialliset Ystävät band from Finland (some kind of crafty cinematic mind / loop-fuck, WTF??).
As for disc two highlights: The track by The Birdtree is just gauzed-out GREAT. Sounds like someone just put on a scratchy obscure singer-songwriter record from the 70s except that it's obviously from the 90s and BEYOND. What else? Subarachnoid Space hit hard with a heavy boom-box jam. Kind of imitation Bardo Pond, but in this case it's a good thing. One of the few tracks on here that really moves; a lot of this stuff is drony and static . . . . . Miminokoto contribute "Dokonimo" -- say it three times fast! This was the first place I heard this band, which I highly recommend -- Fushitsusha meets Curtis Mayfield back to Crazy Horse at their rawest and slowest. I was just talking about them today to local psychedelic superhero Plastic Crimewave, he's opening for them this Tuesday on their first US tour. We hope people go see this band. I won't, I'll be at home with babe-o, but I'll be there in spirit. Hell, I'm ALREADY there in spirit. This song is GREAT, I think it's better than any song on their excellent Live CD, also on Last Visible Dog . . . . . . Avarus are big in the news these days, and with good reason -- their track on here is a little freaky too. Manic low cello saw, sure, but as Tony Rettman said about some completely different record in the last issue, "it's the shit clipping in the air around it that's so dangerous" . . . . . Charalambides contribute an excellent track, one of the quieter ones on here, but if you listen close there's a lot of their distinctively thorny beauty and quiet desperation in there . . . . . Bardo Pond's track is actually kind of a letdown for me, I wanted to hear them in full huge heaven-band mode, but it's a no-rhythm-section 'ethnic forgery' kind of track . . . . . Omit's track is GREAT and reminded me that he's one of the very best soundmakers to ever have the two words "New Zealand" somewhere in his return address. Why have I not listened to this guy once for the last four years again? . . . . . Karl Precoda and Mike Gangloff (are they in Pelt?) do an excellent soft piano meets softly shaken sheet metal kind of 'contempo classical' whatsis . . . . . Black Forest/Black Sea's track reminds me of both "Drifters of the Grand Trunk" by SCG and, gosh, I think Sandy Bull . . . . . really good, too short . . . . . and Peter Wright closes the disc with a nicely short and slightly odd piece. And that's not everybody, but that's the end of this review -- obviously, you should check out this comp if you're looking for a fully stuffed introduction to today's various strains of New Millenium Psych.
For example, I couldn't even remember disc one's tracks 7 and 8 right after listening to them, and now they're two of the most memorable on the whole album. Track 7 is by Thuja (the sound of dark blue smoke finding it's way into the fissures in a football field made of ice at 4AM in the morning) and Track 8 is by that (I think I can spell this right) Kemialliset Ystävät band from Finland (some kind of crafty cinematic mind / loop-fuck, WTF??).
As for disc two highlights: The track by The Birdtree is just gauzed-out GREAT. Sounds like someone just put on a scratchy obscure singer-songwriter record from the 70s except that it's obviously from the 90s and BEYOND. What else? Subarachnoid Space hit hard with a heavy boom-box jam. Kind of imitation Bardo Pond, but in this case it's a good thing. One of the few tracks on here that really moves; a lot of this stuff is drony and static . . . . . Miminokoto contribute "Dokonimo" -- say it three times fast! This was the first place I heard this band, which I highly recommend -- Fushitsusha meets Curtis Mayfield back to Crazy Horse at their rawest and slowest. I was just talking about them today to local psychedelic superhero Plastic Crimewave, he's opening for them this Tuesday on their first US tour. We hope people go see this band. I won't, I'll be at home with babe-o, but I'll be there in spirit. Hell, I'm ALREADY there in spirit. This song is GREAT, I think it's better than any song on their excellent Live CD, also on Last Visible Dog . . . . . . Avarus are big in the news these days, and with good reason -- their track on here is a little freaky too. Manic low cello saw, sure, but as Tony Rettman said about some completely different record in the last issue, "it's the shit clipping in the air around it that's so dangerous" . . . . . Charalambides contribute an excellent track, one of the quieter ones on here, but if you listen close there's a lot of their distinctively thorny beauty and quiet desperation in there . . . . . Bardo Pond's track is actually kind of a letdown for me, I wanted to hear them in full huge heaven-band mode, but it's a no-rhythm-section 'ethnic forgery' kind of track . . . . . Omit's track is GREAT and reminded me that he's one of the very best soundmakers to ever have the two words "New Zealand" somewhere in his return address. Why have I not listened to this guy once for the last four years again? . . . . . Karl Precoda and Mike Gangloff (are they in Pelt?) do an excellent soft piano meets softly shaken sheet metal kind of 'contempo classical' whatsis . . . . . Black Forest/Black Sea's track reminds me of both "Drifters of the Grand Trunk" by SCG and, gosh, I think Sandy Bull . . . . . really good, too short . . . . . and Peter Wright closes the disc with a nicely short and slightly odd piece. And that's not everybody, but that's the end of this review -- obviously, you should check out this comp if you're looking for a fully stuffed introduction to today's various strains of New Millenium Psych.
Disc 1
Karma – "1st.sex"
Flies Inside the Sun – "La Maga"
Fursaxa – "Chartreuse My Green"
Birchville Cat Motel – "Queen Flat Sheet"
Pelt – "The Signal Tower at Murrysville, Pennsylvania"
The Iditarod – "Where The Cold Winds Blow"
Thuja – "Ice Caves"
Kemialliset Ystävät – "Unohdan Kaiken"
Reynols – "Alclorse Mentalimo Camarion Maysa – Part I: Yomulido Doble Pechuas"
"Part II: Sojos Abriero 1956"
"Part III: Melates Sopirar"
"Part IV: Minecxio Doles Pechod"
Disc 2
SubArachnoid Space – "Honarable Mention"
Avarus – "Röllien Planeetta"
MCMS – "The Good Life"
Karl Precoda and Mike Gangloff – "John Dee's Dream"
Charalambides – "Water Falls Through Air to Earth"
drona parva – "Lost Island"
Miminokoto – "Dokonimo"
Omit – "Dip"
Pylon – "Bass is the Bass, Bass is the Bass"
Sandoz Lab Technicians – "Liquid Constant"
drona parva – "Pink Cloud"
Bardo Pond – "Thirsty Sect"
Black Forest/Black Sea – "Stones and the Curling Smoke"
The Birdtree – "She is the Swallow"
Peter Wright – "The Lightbox"
Karma – "1st.sex"
Flies Inside the Sun – "La Maga"
Fursaxa – "Chartreuse My Green"
Birchville Cat Motel – "Queen Flat Sheet"
Pelt – "The Signal Tower at Murrysville, Pennsylvania"
The Iditarod – "Where The Cold Winds Blow"
Thuja – "Ice Caves"
Kemialliset Ystävät – "Unohdan Kaiken"
Reynols – "Alclorse Mentalimo Camarion Maysa – Part I: Yomulido Doble Pechuas"
"Part II: Sojos Abriero 1956"
"Part III: Melates Sopirar"
"Part IV: Minecxio Doles Pechod"
Disc 2
SubArachnoid Space – "Honarable Mention"
Avarus – "Röllien Planeetta"
MCMS – "The Good Life"
Karl Precoda and Mike Gangloff – "John Dee's Dream"
Charalambides – "Water Falls Through Air to Earth"
drona parva – "Lost Island"
Miminokoto – "Dokonimo"
Omit – "Dip"
Pylon – "Bass is the Bass, Bass is the Bass"
Sandoz Lab Technicians – "Liquid Constant"
drona parva – "Pink Cloud"
Bardo Pond – "Thirsty Sect"
Black Forest/Black Sea – "Stones and the Curling Smoke"
The Birdtree – "She is the Swallow"
Peter Wright – "The Lightbox"
