Saturday, February 11, 2012

Music: Deluxin' "Chocolate Jam" tapes

This is an album in three parts (three 10ish minute tapes) which means flipping/changing the tape six times. Worth it.

Nathan Vasquez's song-writing is really something. He manages to synthesize from so many more influences than most of his contemporaries from the NSA school of "punk." Like, instead of channeling an established genre, Deluxin' channel three or four disparate energies into one relatable but still weird pop-song.

All but maybe three songs are plenty memorable. "Shiny Lid" has a delicate aching quality and a quick bass line allows its buoy to skip. "Houses of Space" wanders, philosophically, around God's palace-or-whatever bareback on Vasquez's urgent, utilitarian singing voice.

NV's lyrics sound highly relevant to most of you, but you only can snatch. Bits of angst at inconsistant relationships. Elation at the more consistant artifacts of life: video games, etc. It sounds very intimate.

Tape 2 absolutely kills. "I Thought You Were Cool" takes you to task with its quick, Electric Eels-like gut-rock. "Cry for a Shadow (On Easy Street)" is faux-country scatter-swagger in a loose, rough bounce.

And it's plenty rough. Beautifully recorded onto tape and lovingly hand-dubbed. Word is, a re-sequenced, re-recorded version is due on vinyl at some point. Here's hoping.

Hag Bloom Tapes. Highly Recomended!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Trolling encouraged. -MTVE