Extra Glenns - 'Infidelity' (Harriet)

Oh, to yearn for times past. Harriet Records! The innocence of this all - John Darnielle and Franklin Bruno coming together for three perfect songs, as perfect as anything else Darnielle penned at this fertile time. 'Infidelity' is elegant in its minimalism, capturing that wobbly experience just perfectly with the classic chorus 'I let my hand rest a minute on your stomach / like there was nothing to it'. 'Going to Lubbock' is the sleeper, but Bruno's arrangements, backup vocals and second guitar bring a mild arpeggiated complexity to the chorus that hadn't yet been seen in any Mountain Goats materials of the time. And then the flip - the glorious 'Malevolent Cityscape X', which sounds like an outtake of something from the Peter Jefferies/Alastair Galbraith scene, with it's backwards, sinewy electric guitar line ripping over the verses. It all comes clear for the passionate, practically shouted chorus. It's one of the most perfect few minutes of music Darnielle ever has laid to vinyl (or tape or plastic); it's erupting, wild and yet still recognisable, even iconic. In 1993 nothing could stop this. By repeating the word 'perfect', can I make it clear enough how much I love this record?

The Dead C - 'Vs. Sebadoh' (Siltbreeze)

Apart from the heaving, panting excerpt of 'Air' that closes side two, The Dead C Vs Sebadoh sounds nothing like the Dead C or Sebadoh, though I imagine the Deep Wound 7" was somewhat of an influence. There's 8 songs at 45 rpm, most built around fast rock riffs and completely unintelligible lyrics, making this the Dead C's 'hardcore' record for sure. It's great, though -- the attitude and atmosphere blow past everything. Some cuts, like 'River of Lethia', merge the more exploratory tendencies associated with the Dead C ca. 1993 with the short format, and I wonder if this was taken on as some sort of challenge for them to record and release it. This isn't exactly a departure - 'Bad Politics' could fit on here easily, though the lyrics would have to be made less audible -- as a slightly different flavour.  Twenty years later, I consider this a prized cultural artefact, though the numbers of people who would understand or care about such an evaluation continues to dwindle.