Reviews: Indie Hodgepodge
Matt Berry/ Peel Dream Magazine/ Prism Shores/ Son Of Dribble/ Cuneiform Tabs
We’ve got a bunch of vaguely Indie releases in this one. Kinda all over the place but not completely out of place next to each other. There’s a TV star doing Walker-ian jazz pop croon moves, art pop, straight shootin’ indie jammers, the new breed of shitgaze, and sometimes meandering (in a good way) psych pop. A real treat to dig up for most readers, unless you’re mining for punk or hardcore. That’ll turn up elsewhere.
Matt Berry - Heard Noises (Acid Jazz)
Hey look! It’s that guy from that show! Yeah, it’s the dude from What We Do In The Shadows. When his previous album came out I figured it had to be some novelty toss off but I gave it an ear anyway. And it was a cool enough listen that I tuned right into this one when I saw it mentioned. Strands of French Pop, Psych Rock, Walker Bros croonerism, swingin’ funkiness, and folk rock all butt heads. A real 60’s style freakout fest. “Silver Rings” is pure AM Radio gold. “Be Alarmed” reminds me of the aforementioned Scott Walker on a laced voyage. “I Gotta Limit” is the most rockin’ wailer of the bunch. It all sorta sounds like you may have heard it on an Oldies station cruising down rural County Highways in the 80’s. You can paint nostalgia in a neg light, but try to find any of the old folks that put together an album this cohesive. It didn’t really happen. Sure, 12 songs and two interludes may be ripe for trimming, but where? It’s all solid.
Peel Dream Magazine - Modern Meta Physic (Slumberland Records)
Reissue of a record I didn’t hear on the first go round. Never paid close attention to their releases as they’ve trickled out which is neither here nor there. A lot of shit’s coming out and I can’t dial in to all of it. But I’m surprised this one didn’t stick to my ribs. Slumberland’s long been a go-to label and this is so “in my lane” that I musta whiffed on it completely. It’s got a low key experimental indie pop feel throughout. “Anorak” has a little wobble to its rocking in the Swirlies sort of way. Some definite Chris Cohen vibes going on. A bit schizophrenic, jumping liberally from droney shoegaze to kraut pulse drivers. The demos tacked onto the end sound like they could have been Duster outtakes. Solid ground from the start, now lets dig in and see where the Peel Dream Mag journey has gone since.
Prism Shores - Out From Underneath (Meritorio Records)
Right out of the gate, bursting with Teenage Fanclub jangle. A little smidge of Dino Jr in there as well. Bah, it started on track four, “Tourniquet.” Point deducted for not auto-starting at the beginning. Don’t try to get fancy on me! Now at the true beginning, peppy indie jangle. Reminds me of a more hi-fi version of that Julia Brown tape I loved a dozen years ago. There’s a jittery energy to the songs that this sorta music usually lacks. Even the slower tracks never seem to laze. It’s just a pleasantly diverse 10-song album covering the indie umbrella, never dipping in quality.
Son of Dribble - Poking A Hole In A Bag of Tears (Minimum Table Stacks)
When I heard Son of Drib Against The Wind I wasn’t convinced on first listen. But I kept thinking about it. Day after day. So I went back to it. Then again. And eventually it made sense. Ya don’t keep going back if it’s not yer thing, not usually. Minimum Table Stacks has established itself as one of those labels where I’m going to at least sample every release. Chances are I’m gonna crack that nut. Son of Dribble, I’m already on their side. And Poking A Hole In A Bag of Tears is a step up. “Vanishing Skulls” is the hit. Reminds me of the lo-fi shitgaze pop of 15 years ago. More Eat Skull or Mantles than Psychedelic Horseshit. A real solid batch of homespun indie rock gems.
Cuneiform Tabs - Age (Superior Viaduct)
A current release from one of the best reissue labels in the biz. The second album from this Oakland to London long-distance duo. “Flush In The Cheeks” opens with an early-Floyd spaciness. Proceeds with some dubby vibes into breezy acousto-psych. There’s a general spaciness throughout, like picking up obscure psych bits on a distant radio station that’s barely coming in. And it carries that same excitement as dialing in a seemingly alien station unexpectedly. The meandering instrumentals work well to break up and strengthen the more straight forward material. I wish I hadn’t read the album blurb pre-listening cuz the Syd Barrett doing Television Personalities comparison is so spot on. If yer a fickle listener, get someone to make ya a tape without the instrumentals, or you could get over yourself and let the full experience take you away.