Blue Cadet-3: A Music Blog by Josh R.

  Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 - Mother Of All Saints (1992) My Copy: 1992 press by Matador. Having been picked up by Matador for 1991’s Lovelyville, Mother Of All Saints followed just one year later - dialing the Thinking Feller’s bizarre energy up to eleven for perhaps some of their greatest peaks ever. While it’s true that the first half of this rather lengthy double-album contains the most impressive experiments, the second half still justifies itself through the sheer magnitude of the band’s unique songwriting personality. Wherever you stand on their signature “feller filler” (handfuls of short, often comedic interludes found on Thinking Fellers records), you must admit these tracks embody an affable prankster mentality that many other 90s artists fail to replicate authentically. Probably the only true misstep is the wonky production, though this would be corrected come ‘94.  A fevered guitar riff crackles before drums and bass quietly mount a unified assault on “...

  Silver Jews - The Natural Bridge (1996) My copy: 2013 reissue by Drag City. David Berman’s second full-length as Silver Jews was conceived almost exclusively as a solo album (that is Malkus and Nostanovich were not present and the crew was at its most stripped-down). Instrumentally, it’s lost the lo-fi charm of Starlite Walker and hasn’t quite gained the tight, pop sensibilities of American Water. Lyrically, however, The Natural Bridge is a contender for some of Berman’s most effective work yet.  Berman is no stranger to irony; and sporting a borderline honky-tonk musical approach, the wistful sentiments of “How To Rent A Room” almost vanish into the alt-country mish-mash. There is a method to Berman’s madness: he leans into the sad clown archetype, utilizing genuine humor and a slick demeanor to more stealthily deliver his actual messages. And yet The Natural Bridge might be Berman’s most tear-jerking works, supposing that you’re capable of reading between the swinging ...

  Jessica Bailiff - Jessica Bailiff (2002) My copy: 2002 press by Kranky. Jessica Bailiff got her start in the mid 90s performing with various bands in Toledo before splitting to focus entirely on a solo project. Aided by her friend Alan Sparhawk of Low, she committed to the Kranky label releasing her debut in ‘98. Four years later, her self-titled third full-length would continue to improve on Bailiff’s ability to craft slow, dark and surreal worlds of her own - though at times via wafer-thin structures that fail to leave a deep impression. “Swallowed” has unfurling piano and acoustic strumming over a softly pounding rhythm section. Bailiff’s vocals are ghostly and smooth, contrasting the metallic horror strings that accent the chord changes. The strings are strangely sweet when the chords are major, despite their sharp, rusted sound. The fear factor is dialed up on “Hour Of The Traces” as the strings whine with an industrial tone, not unlike the soundtrack to The Texas Chainsaw...

  Death Grips - The Powers That B (2015) My copy: 2015 press by Harvest and Third Worlds. The Powers That B was one of the most heavily anticipated experimental hip-hop releases during its mysterious promotional stage following 2013’s Government Plates. Being a double album, the first half of The Powers That B was made available in 2014 to generate hype while the other half would take nearly a full extra year to release officially, causing pandemonium across the internet along the way. Both halves of the record boast unique identities that are tied to specific recording philosophies, with the first half ( N****s On The Moon) being far more interesting conceptually. I’ll tackle both individual albums as their own entities. N****s On The Moon released to mass excitement, as Death Grips were arguably at the peak of their mainstream popularity thanks to an influx of attention given to their first three full-lengths thanks to internet reviews. The album itself is daunting and jitter...

  World Domination Enterprises - Let’s Play Domination (1988) My copy: 1988 press by Caroline Records. The first and only true full-length from London’s own World Domination Enterprises, Let’s Play Domination is as enigmatic as it is utterly chaotic. Featuring 13 shorter tracks, the album is composed mostly of biting mid-tempo post-punk/noise-rock sounds though the songwriting itself dips into a variety of genres. There are also three tongue-in-cheek covers on the record, ranging from hip-hop to dub music.  Grimey bass is the precursor to the hurtling whirlwind of agonized guitar screeching on “Message For You People”: a track that perfectly introduces their signature guitar tone. You could convince most that they had just thrown the live guitar into a woodchipper and recorded that sound instead, but listening closely proves that the guitars are more engaged than one might suspect. The rhythm section becomes dejected and sour on “Blu Money” where the lyrics focus on povert...

  Chrome - Half Machine Lip Moves (1979) My copy: 2009 reissue by Cleopatra. Beginning in the mid 70s, Chrome was originally the brainchild of Damon Edge before co-collaborator Helios Creed signed on for the second full-length in ‘77. While Alien Soundtracks solidified Chrome as a serious competitor in the experimental punk movement, it would be the later Half Machine Lip Moves that would push them to the height of their influence. Often credited with birthing industrial-rock, the ‘79 LP is a feverish trip through extraterrestrial tones and harsh, abrasive riffing. Destructive guitar string manipulation brings us first into the lo-fi punk of “TV As Eyes.” While it’s obvious there’s a Stooges connection here, Chrome dares to push their experimentation far beyond any of Iggy’s weirdest stunts. There are often blurred vocal samples bubbling in deep cauldrons of noise only to bleed away into the next transmission. Psych tinged guitar chugging takes reign on “Zombie Warfare (Can’t L...

  Mercury Rev - The Hum Is Coming From Her (1993) My copy: 1993 press by Columbia. Of all the tracks to repurpose as a single from 1993’s Boces, finale “Girlfren” is certainly an odd choice. The song is renamed here, though it is the same strangely haunting bout of  dixieland-gone-surrealist by way of David Baker’s affected vocal moans. The flute bleeds into the background noise before the vocals cease, leaving us with bending strings. The real worth in this single comes in the B-side “So There” which features a poem reading from then Buffalo University professor Robert Creeley. The music is harrowing ambiance tossed in-between elated pitches of swing-jazz, though the best moments are near the end when everything begins to reverberate and topple over into a mess of psychedelic colors. The poem itself keeps listeners focused in, and Creeley’s speaking is echoed and loudened for effect, serving as the centerpiece of the experiment.  The Hum Is Coming From Her is a weird...