Epitonic Newsletter: Vol. 4, No. 24 'Presents & Treats'
06/21/02
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All right kiddies, we promised you presents and treats, and now we're
here to make good on that promise because we, truly, are a website of
honor and principle. Our first and most exciting surprise is this: at
long last, girls and boys, we are able to offer you music by the band
with the dubious distinction of being the most-referenced on Epitonic,
perhaps the most significant underground rock band of the past two
decades, that unparalleled bunch of geeky, hip, uncompromisingly
adventurous Manhattanites known as Sonic Youth. And we're not talking
just one track here. You can check out a stream from Sonic Youth's
new album, Murray Street, which comes out next week, as well as a
pair of nuggets from their classic albums Sister and Goo, plus
one track from the vaults, released previously on a French-only EP.
How's that for a suprise, folks? Well, just in case it's not good
enough, we're pleased to offer a track from Universal Truths &
Cycles, the new LP from Dayton's finest, the incomparable Guided By
Voices, who rank not far behind Sonic Youth on the list of most cross-
referenced on Epitonic, and who are without question among the most
singular and important voices of indie rock over the last decade or
so. We're also offering tunes from recently released albums by Spaceheads, Crooked Fingers,
East River Pipe, Consonant, Silkworm, Chris Brokaw, and Erase Errata, all of which are featured in this week's playlist, along with some other good stuff.
This week's playlist is part tribute to Sonic Youth, part new stuff.
We start with a track from the new SY album, then offer a half-dozen
tunes from descendents of the influential band. Then we move on to
feature some of the other great new tracks of the week. Enjoy.
Lastly, our homepage has a new look. We hope this new design makes
the page more useful for you. Let us know.
"The Empty Page"
by
Sonic Youth
One of the most important and beloved bands of the past twenty years, Sonic Youth is almost singularly responsible for the acceptance of avant-garde forms by underground rock audiences. The albums in their remarkable discography possess the unique ability to appeal to passions both visceral and cerebral. If you've never explored this band's amazing contribution to rock, now is a perfect time to start.
"The End of Life in America/Angels"
by
Lee Ranaldo
Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo does what he does best, producing cryptic spoken-word pieces and tons of noise. Ranaldo is joined here by Sonic Youth band mates Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley in his ongoing efforts to redefine the word "experimental."
"Teenie Weenie Boppie"
by
Free Kitten
Supergroup? Yeah, you could say that. Featuring members of Sonic Youth, the Boredoms, Pussy Galore, and Pavement, this collaborative venture leans toward the arty, noisy experimentalism of the previous two outfits, while occasionally incorporating touches of the raunchiness and irony that distinguish the latter two.
"Tragic Carpet Ride"
by
Polvo
Polvo's dynamic, dissonant music blended classic indie rock tropes with Eastern musical influences and deliberately detuned guitars. The resulting din was often glorious, sometimes deafening, and always creative.
"December"
by
Unwound
Unwound is one of indie rock's most important bands ever. Taking up where SST-era Sonic Youth left off, Unwound maintains a punk rock stance in conquering and controlling noise rock.
"In Particular"
by
Blonde Redhead
These New York-based art rockers continue to create hypnotizing, ambiguous compositions that are at once darkly beautiful and sublimely unsettling. Their dense spider webs of sound conjure the moment after you've emerged from the shadowy, terrifying landscape of a dream, when the adrenaline still flows like fire through your body and you can't yet recall how the world works.
"Mistakes and Regrets"
by
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
This Austin, Texas foursome lives up to its lengthy, fearsome name with awe-inspiring sonic ambition. Trail of Dead abandons indie rock formulas in favor of building awesome, precarious towers of sound that are like nothing you've ever heard before.
"Everywhere With Helicopter"
by
Guided by Voices
Dayton, Ohio's finest, and one of indie rock's most important and influential over the last decade. Headed by schoolteacher-turned-rock star Robert Pollard, Guided By Voices epitomized the offbeat, lo-fi aesthetic that came to define underground pop music in the mid '90s. Ever restless, continuously evolving, the prolific ensemble continues to build their impressive discography.
"(I Hope U) Don't Survive"
by
Silkworm
Seattle's Silkworm has been making moody, complex, and emotional indie rock for over ten years. More proof that there must be something in Washington's water that helps to make great bands.
"Tongue Tied"
by
Erase Errata
San Francisco quartet Erase Errata channels the skeletal rhythms of British post-punk, the abrasive rush of no wave, and the feisty energy of riot grrl punk into intensely angular, incredibly vital music that will blow you away.
"Blissful"
by
Consonant
Consonant marks the return of Misson of Burma bassist, songwriter, and vocalist Clint Conley. With bandmates hailing from Come, The New Year, and Bedhead playing Clint's unmistakable songs, familiar tones blend into a new textured sound.
"King Ferdinand"
by
Chris Brokaw
Chris Brokaw is at the eye of a storm of indie rock contributions. His new solo record alludes to his catalogue of work in Come, Codeine, Pullman, The New Year, and Consonant.
"When U Were Mine"
by
Crooked Fingers
Fans of Eric Bachmann's old band, the angular and dissonant Chapel Hill combo Archers of Loaf, may be surprised by his new solo project, Crooked Fingers, which sees Bachmann turn his sights toward bluesy down-home roots music, to stunning effect.
"Make a Deal with the City"
by
East River Pipe
One man band F.M. Cornog crafts lush little lo-fi gems in his New Jersey home recording studio, true nuggets of bleak but cautiously optimistic emotion that avoid the pitfalls and pretensions so common to singer/songwriter fare, finding the most direct routes into your heart.
"The Lugano Affair"
by
Spaceheads
This British drums-and-trumpet duo makes some of the most unclassifiable and creative music around today, occupying a mysterious Bermuda Triangle bounded by experimental electronic, funk, and jazz. Sometimes very strange, frequently very groovy, always engaging.
