Music

Bloomington’s best are at it again. The collective known as Early Day Miners has continued to grow and evolve over the last six years into something that is truly unique. Their newest venture, Offshore, is one of the most fascinating and pleasant musical experiences I’ve had this year.

On The Birds in the Bushes, singer Eva Saalens (a.k.a Inca Ore) and her friends in Lemon Bear’s Orchestra have made their own journey to the proverbial jungle. Though recorded in a house in Cape Meanes, Oregon, The Birds could have been smuggled out of the Far East and few would notice.

The name David Pajo is probably the third-best-known name in the indie-rock genre, right up there with Will Oldham and Steve Albini, and as such, the fact that over the years the three of these men have worked together so much is of no surprise. Pajo‘s name has been attached to such acts as Palace, Slint, Papa M, Aerial M, Zwan, Tortoise, and The For Carnation just to name a few, and this year marks a new chapter in Pajo‘s life, one that will be cataloged simply under the name Pajo.

Saddle Creek is at pains to use the word “voluntarily” when they say that Eric Bachmann lived in the back of his van while recording To the Races; whether they mean to emphasize a) what a crazy son of a bitch he is, or b) that he could afford an apartment if he wanted to, I’m not sure. Either way, a folksinger living in his van isn’t exactly a unicorn.

Frequency is the supergroup you never knew existed. They are comprised of two members from the notorious Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and two members internationally known for their numerous contributions to the world of soul, symphony orchestras, and jazz.

For many of you reading out there, Radio Birdman is one of the best and most important bands of which you’ve never heard. They are the Australian Iggy and the Stooges, Sonic Youth, and Ramones all wrapped into one and have had a lasting influence on innumerable rock bands that have come since.

Abandoning the name El Guapo and boarding the boat for Touch and Go Records was just about the best thing the boys of Supersystem could have ever done. Don’t get me wrong, El Guapo was a solid post-rock outfit, complete with nostalgic memories of 1980s avant-garde hardcore jazz and an impalpable ability to make you groove.

Oregon’s Thermals are back for their third full-length release on Subpop. What started as a garage outfit that recorded their first full-length entirely on 8-track tape has turned into a blistering powerhouse of huge sounding guitars and drums.

If you’re hip, you’ll be familiar with a band called Bellini that put out a CD not too long ago on Temporary Residence. However, if you’re ultra hip, you’ll be familiar with Uzeda, a group based in Italy consisting of the same guitarist and vocalist as Bellini, whose last full-length was 1998’s Different Section Wires.

Chad VanGaalen’s sophomore effort, Skelliconnection, swings open a lot like a Sufjan Stevens record, soft, sweet, purring with a deep groove and the hum of multi-layered vocal tracks. Add to that the punch-up changes and emotive lyrics of an Elliot Smith-type, and Skelliconnection starts to come alive.

The Arab Strap. A multipurpose sexual device. Often comprising of soft leather and metal rings, this age-old invention of sexual exploration sensually wraps its soft leather, belt-like body about the penis in an attempt to prolong and sustain the erection.

Listening to Fernando’s latest is an exercise in both patience and discovery. Although he excels at offering some über-brilliant pop rock gems, a la Teenage Fanclub or, hell, The Beatles for that matter, the act is just as proficient at stalling its own momentum by drowning its album’s roster with too many dreary ballads and meandering melodies.