Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Ridiculous Album Packaging

The new Dillinger has me blown away. Both in terms of music & packaging.
This is the limited edition CD (how "limited," I don't know), where they went all out putting this together.











I really wish artists did shit like this more often

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Vernal Equinox



Subtle – Spring (2003) self-released

1. Jr.’s Band
2. Wallet Falls
3. Untitled
4. Less Populated Earth
5. Skullz



Download












The conclusion of the four part series. This is the exact opposite of Winter, as this EP is the most structured and accessible in the series. These songs are so “song-like” in fact, that they are all featured on Earthsick, the single CD compilation of the Four Seasons. This is the only EP to be entirely included on Earthsick.

Being as straightforward as these songs are (at least for Subtle) this is also the shortest of the EPs. The first abstract song of the set is “Untitled,” a song that got half-erased during the recording process. Instead of fixing the error, Subtle left the song “as is” for the most part, creating an unrivaled sense of emptiness & desolation. “Less Populated Earth” is the other abstract song, enough so that it could belong on Summer or Autumn, yet its slam poetry quality makes it lyrical enough that it doesn’t sound out of place on this season. “Skullz” is fantastic song, and functions well as a closer for the EP, but for the series as a whole, doesn’t create much closure. Considering the cyclical nature of the change of seasons, it only adds to the resonance of the series.

I’ve pretty much said with each entry, that the Four Seasons project is a phenomenal piece of work. Subtle rather successfully explored their sound, ranging the gambit from free improv to pop song-structures, all the while organizing their experiments via thematic elements and creating quite listenable releases. Earthsick organizes these EPs into a simple, abbreviated album, but it lacks breadth or scope you would achieve by exploring each season independently.


Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Pharmaceutical Bandits

I don’t usually do this, but here’s a single song. The original version of the song is from Rx Bandits' debut, and simply titled "Band-Aid," but this is a rather killer dub version from a compilation CD. The comp is essentially a demo reel for Ikey Owens, the liner notes state, “everything on the album has been affected for better or worse by me.” The disc is from 1998, from a now defunct SoCal label, so as you can imagine, it’s strictly reggae, power pop, ska & dub. I’m not one for compilations, but I really dig this.

As old as this is, it says “Pharmaceutical Bandits” and not “Rx Bandits.” Because this was my introduction to the band, they’re forever the Pharmaceutical Bandits in my mind. Since this comp is such a forgotten artifact, I thought maybe Rx Bandits fans might not be aware of this song’s existence

The Pharmaceutical Bandits – "Band-Aid for My Soul (Radiolistener Dub Version)"
from The Radiolistener Remixes (1998) on Vegas Records