Local CD Reviews
Issue 239 / November 2008 More from this Issue
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Stag Hare
Black Medicine Music
A. Star
Street: June 2008
Stag Hare = Grouper + La MonteYoung + Freescha
Chirping birds, folk guitar, non-Westernpercussion and droning staticharmonies all of these aspectsusually equal something you tryyour hardest to ignore while a Yogainstructor orders you to relax duringSavasana. So why is Black MedicineMusic, a disc forged with theseingredients, so interesting? Garrick"Stag Hare" Biggs (and local guestssuch as Tenants of Balthazar'sCastle's Michael Biggs and AyeAye's Andrew Alba) beats the newagerap through a clever amalgamationof said elements, heapingdoses of reverb, delay, edits andtricks that allow the music to suggestrather than smack the listener overthe head. Throughout this albummelodies phase in and out with swirlingarpeggiations, time-stretchedguitar work, buried-in-the-mix singing,vocal garbles and chuggingatmospheric rhythms formed fromtinkling metal and acoustic/sampleddrums. Biggs's attention to detail islike turning canned responses andotherwise ordinary words into poetry.Dave Madden
Starmy
Burning Moon/High Horse
Self-Released
Street: 06.27
Starmy = Led Zepplin + Jet +Foxboro Hot Tubs
While Billy Joe Armstrong ismoonlighting as a 60s garage bandwith Foxboro, Starmy is right here inour backyard and doing it a hundredtimes better. So many bands outthere are trying to replicate the classicrock sound, but Starmy isn't tryingto replicate anyone or anything.Complete with everything from epicguitar solos to calliope keyboards,Starmy breaks it down to the basics,taking these amazing riffs and ridingthem through the whole song. It'sthese kinds of hooks that make youfall in love with a band, and everysong on these two EPs has that kindof a hook. An amazing set, checkthem out and keep an eye out fortheir upcoming LP Starmaggedonlater this year.(The Urban Lounge:12.06) Kat Kellermeyer
The Up Collars
We're Better Than You
Self-Released
Street: 10.03
The Upcollars = The Dead Milkmen+ Eugene Hütz
This disc got me interested in what'sgoing on in northern Utah, which Ican't say anything else has done inrecent memory. Saxophone is mixedwith shredderific guitar, thoughtfulmelodies and some interestingvocals form this release. It's a promisingdebut from this young Logangroup, but a full length is a bit tooambitious. A more focused EP mayhave served them better. The albumis interesting enough that I'd like tosee a live show, though. These guysmay sound a little bit too much likethemselves. Paddling out into somenew and uncomfortable water, interms of structure and style, wouldbe beneficial.JP
Black Medicine Music
A. Star
Street: June 2008
Stag Hare = Grouper + La MonteYoung + Freescha
Chirping birds, folk guitar, non-Westernpercussion and droning staticharmonies all of these aspectsusually equal something you tryyour hardest to ignore while a Yogainstructor orders you to relax duringSavasana. So why is Black MedicineMusic, a disc forged with theseingredients, so interesting? Garrick"Stag Hare" Biggs (and local guestssuch as Tenants of Balthazar'sCastle's Michael Biggs and AyeAye's Andrew Alba) beats the newagerap through a clever amalgamationof said elements, heapingdoses of reverb, delay, edits andtricks that allow the music to suggestrather than smack the listener overthe head. Throughout this albummelodies phase in and out with swirlingarpeggiations, time-stretchedguitar work, buried-in-the-mix singing,vocal garbles and chuggingatmospheric rhythms formed fromtinkling metal and acoustic/sampleddrums. Biggs's attention to detail islike turning canned responses andotherwise ordinary words into poetry.Dave Madden
Starmy
Burning Moon/High Horse
Self-Released
Street: 06.27
Starmy = Led Zepplin + Jet +Foxboro Hot Tubs
While Billy Joe Armstrong ismoonlighting as a 60s garage bandwith Foxboro, Starmy is right here inour backyard and doing it a hundredtimes better. So many bands outthere are trying to replicate the classicrock sound, but Starmy isn't tryingto replicate anyone or anything.Complete with everything from epicguitar solos to calliope keyboards,Starmy breaks it down to the basics,taking these amazing riffs and ridingthem through the whole song. It'sthese kinds of hooks that make youfall in love with a band, and everysong on these two EPs has that kindof a hook. An amazing set, checkthem out and keep an eye out fortheir upcoming LP Starmaggedonlater this year.(The Urban Lounge:12.06) Kat Kellermeyer
The Up Collars
We're Better Than You
Self-Released
Street: 10.03
The Upcollars = The Dead Milkmen+ Eugene Hütz
This disc got me interested in what'sgoing on in northern Utah, which Ican't say anything else has done inrecent memory. Saxophone is mixedwith shredderific guitar, thoughtfulmelodies and some interestingvocals form this release. It's a promisingdebut from this young Logangroup, but a full length is a bit tooambitious. A more focused EP mayhave served them better. The albumis interesting enough that I'd like tosee a live show, though. These guysmay sound a little bit too much likethemselves. Paddling out into somenew and uncomfortable water, interms of structure and style, wouldbe beneficial.JP
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