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22 December 2023
From now on, when my good friend Sgt. Huntry sends me music, I'll listen. This round: albums from The National and Clogs.
THE NATIONAL/THE NATIONAL: The National are “five displaced Ohioans living in Brooklyn exile." They claim musical peers such as Guided By Voices, Afghan Whigs and Ass Ponys. They play the kind of rock and roll that makes Ohio hillbillies cock their heads and say, "This ain't rock. Whitesnake is rock!!!" Mostly because The National has feelings. But let's be realistic: Rockers can have feelings. And though I may not be the most sensitive man on Earth (I have no soul), I liked the record. Titled The National, just like the band, the music is in touch with its sensitive side. But vocalist Matt Berninger makes it wonderfully eerie with his Lou Reed/Beck mumble-sing style. The first song, "Beautiful Head," is one of the best songs on the album. It's catchy without being annoying, and sadly is over before you know it. "Watching You Well" makes melancholy seem like a trip to Six Flags with cool slide guitar action that warms you all up inside. And "29 Years" is a startling, clever song-story relying heavily on sparse, minimal instrumentation.
CLOGS/THOMS' NIGHT OUT: Clogs are a foursome whose sound is absolutely nothing like anything I'm aware of. This peculiar quartet combine violin/viola, guitars, bassoon, saxophone and percussion to make a sound straight out of a Terry Gilliam film: a sound that is old world and classical, minimal and magical. When you think you have it pegged, they throw in steel drums, or some other such unusual instrumentation. The title track, "Thom's Night Out," is a perfect example of how completely unpredictable the record gets. The band has a sound that is timeless. And if you're not convinced by the time the surreal closing track, "Ukifune," comes around, it will do the trick.
To get a hold of one or both of these fine records, visit Brassland Records' website.
THE NATIONAL/THE NATIONAL: The National are “five displaced Ohioans living in Brooklyn exile." They claim musical peers such as Guided By Voices, Afghan Whigs and Ass Ponys. They play the kind of rock and roll that makes Ohio hillbillies cock their heads and say, "This ain't rock. Whitesnake is rock!!!" Mostly because The National has feelings. But let's be realistic: Rockers can have feelings. And though I may not be the most sensitive man on Earth (I have no soul), I liked the record. Titled The National, just like the band, the music is in touch with its sensitive side. But vocalist Matt Berninger makes it wonderfully eerie with his Lou Reed/Beck mumble-sing style. The first song, "Beautiful Head," is one of the best songs on the album. It's catchy without being annoying, and sadly is over before you know it. "Watching You Well" makes melancholy seem like a trip to Six Flags with cool slide guitar action that warms you all up inside. And "29 Years" is a startling, clever song-story relying heavily on sparse, minimal instrumentation.
CLOGS/THOMS' NIGHT OUT: Clogs are a foursome whose sound is absolutely nothing like anything I'm aware of. This peculiar quartet combine violin/viola, guitars, bassoon, saxophone and percussion to make a sound straight out of a Terry Gilliam film: a sound that is old world and classical, minimal and magical. When you think you have it pegged, they throw in steel drums, or some other such unusual instrumentation. The title track, "Thom's Night Out," is a perfect example of how completely unpredictable the record gets. The band has a sound that is timeless. And if you're not convinced by the time the surreal closing track, "Ukifune," comes around, it will do the trick.
To get a hold of one or both of these fine records, visit Brassland Records' website.
artid
253
Old Image
3_11_cds2.swf
issue
vol 3 - issue 11 (aug 2001)
section
entertainmental