Iconoclast: Sins of New York, 1989
I was just a dumb rock guy. Now that I’m a crusty old fuck, I can sagely point to the influence of Coltrane, Sun Ra, James Chance, John Lurie, and so forth.
The Pleasantries: “Innocence, Ignorance” b/w “In Between Or Beyond”, 1994
“Innocence, Ignorance” is stellar Byrds/Big Star-inspired, Latin-tinged power pop. You, yes you, will love it. “In Between Or Beyond” is equally impressive. Listen now.
Wade: S/T, 1995
Catchy pop songs with supercharged guitars and powerful drumming…a gritty-voiced vocalist singing introspective songs about depression, isolation, self-hate and suicide…no, it’s not Nirvana, but the next best thing: Wade. Okay, so it’s not the most original sound in the world, but they still kick ass. The regrettably muddy production of this tape can’t mask the strength of their songs nor the intensity of their performance. Look, if you kids can push Foo Fighters to the top of the charts, why…
Cystem: A Severed Head (single), 1998
A hardstep single from a known artist (in this Universe, anyway) who wishes to remain anonymous and so asked that I omit his name and address from this review. He has nothing to be ashamed of; the track rocks, although the minimal techno style is less interesting to me than the artist’s more involved illbient and soundtrack work. Whatever, ya gets four mixes to play with and they’re all good, so get it. — Demo Universe PERSONNEL: John Sosnowski: Loops,…
Dan Cray: How’s My Driving?, 1999
‘Jenn Cray’s chirpy recitation of Dr. Seuss’ “Oh The Places You’ll Go!” provides the conceptual road map for another Dan Cray trip into the heart of darkness. Love, and all the pain resulting, is the theme this time out, expressed in quietly shattering songs like “Happy Hour” (“You were the first lust that I trusted/You’ll be the last love I adore/You call it space/I call it war.”) and “Two TVs” (“I’ll take the couch/You’ll take the bed/It’s the ease of…