I'm just starting to figure this blogging shit out so bear with me...It's Halloween, and I'm gonna try to write a couple more of my reviews which will most likely be read by few.


Pothole Skinny
Our Vanishing Landscape CDR
(Foxglove)

From what I've read this band is from Jersey City. I've been to Jersey City, and all I could think of was the Sopranos when I was there. Not to say it's crappy, but the landscape is fairly accurately represented on the show. It's a little old town surrounded by industry, in the shadow of NYC. Lotsa paving, lotsa dirt. I'm sure there are some nice neighborhoods, but nothing about it brings to mind quiet, rural sounding psychedelia. Of course, that's what this is. It does get a little menacing at times (as all good psych should), but for the most part it consists of repetive, acoustic based riffs, layered with flutes, electric guitar, effects, etc. This CDR consists of three tracks, the shortest of which is 14 minutes, so all of these tunes take their time building into droney weirdness. When I first heard this I thought it was good, but maybe a little too slight and un-threatening. The more I listen to it, however, I've found that it's actually quite layered. There's little guitar and flute (Or whatever instrument is making flute-like sounds) detours all over the place, and some general noise making that I missed the first time around. Pat Gubler (PG Six) contributes to the last track, and although this recording doesn't sound like PG Six or Tower Recordings (PG's other bands), it is a strong track. Nice guitar stuff, well worth investigating. This is limited to 150.

www.digitalisindustries.com/foxglove.html




Coleclough & Murmur
Husk
(ICR)

I picked up the 2CD limited edition of this release because I sold a bunch of stuff on eBAY, and I had a good amount of PayPal dollars (which almost always go right back into music purchases.) I start by saying this, because, if that wasn't the case, I probably wouldn't have shelled out the over $30 that this is selling for in the US. You see, I'm a cynical motherfucker, and I assume that a 2CD limited edition is going to consist of one good album (maybe), and an additional disc of lame remixes or shit that didn't make the cut for the "good" album.
Much to my suprise, in this case, the bonus disc actually overshadows the "good" album. The first disc consists of four pieces over 74 minutes. Of course, being a John Coleclough work, this is drone music, and it seems to be sourced from found sounds. I think a lot of the found sounds are Murmer's department. I've never heard anything by Murmur, so I won't pretend to be an expert. The first track starts with kind of a refrigerator hum, then slowly builds with the addition of eerie layers of sound. Throughout the disc, there's also storms, water sounds, kids voices, forest sounds (ala Monos), and other stuff which I couldn't identify. The first CD is cool, but the bonus disc is much more active and intense. It has three tracks, and is about 45 minutes long. It's harder to make out the found sounds, yet these pieces are almost melodic at times. I recommend selling some crap music, so that you too can afford the limited edition 2CD version. It's limited to 200.

www.icrdistribution.com/ or, in the U.S. try:
www.ominousdrone.com




We Jam Econo
The Story of the Minutemen DVD

It took me a while to watch this entire thing as there is over 5 hours of footage on both DVD's. The movie itself is a fairly straightforward documentary. It includes interviews conducted with the band over 20 years ago, and concert footage of the band in action. The quality of the concert action is raw, but the energy level is high, so it flows nicely within the framework of the film. The film also includes interviews with the surviving band members now, other musicians, and family members. The other musicians are people who either know them, or were influenced by them in some way. Some of the musicians are: Milo Aukerman (Descendents, All), J. Mascis, Joe Biaza (Sacharine Trust), John Doe (X), Flea, Henry Rollins (Black Flag), Richard Hell, Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, Black Flag) and the ubiquitus Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth, collaborations with every known musician on earth).
The most interesting aspect of the movie is the way it depicts the friendship between Mike Watt and D. Boon, prior to his untimely death in 1985. Mike Watt's interview segments, though rambling at times, manage to elevate this film above the typical rock documentary. Watt provides a tour of San Pedro, where he and D. Boon grew up, and met as teenagers. He explains how neither of them could play an instrument at the time, which makes for some pretty amusing stories. This film comes off as both a memorial to D. Boon, and a tribute to the DIY spirit that the Minutemen, and many of the underground bands of their day embodied. In short, if you're even remotely interested in their music, this movie is indispensable.
The extras are cool too. There's almost 4 hours of extra footage in the form of deleted scenes, all of their music videos, and two full concerts. Outstanding.

www.theminutemen.com/