Blumfeld - 'Draußen auf Kaution/Jet Set' (Big Cat)

Moody, mid-90s German indie-rockers Blumfeld made a pretty great album, if I remember it, and then faded into obscurity. At least in my tunnel vision world! I don't speak a word of their language so I have no idea what they are singing about, but 'Draußen auf Kaution' is a dramatic, mid-tempo guitar jam that reminds me a bit of what everyone was trying to do in 1995. There's arpeggiated guitar lines slowly unfolding, slow building vocals and a darkly-inflected instrumental buildup at the end of the song. Hints of Slint's "Washer" for sure, but that's unavoidable. No, it's the grooves of 'Jet Set' on side B -- actually labeled as side AA -- that I've worn out on this record. A fast, energetic thrasher with spoken/shouted lyrics, this is why I got into Blumfeld. There's a resemblance to the Fall, or maybe Moss Icon since they aren't as sloppy or lackadaisical as the Fall -- there's a real spark behind this, a statement of direction that you'd only get with some pissed off Germans. Again, maybe they are just singing about their breakfast or train timetables, but it's enough to have me hopping up and down for the past 15 years.

Bob Bannister - 'Easterly' (Remora)

In 1994 Bob Bannister put out this 4-song solo EP and I bought it a few years later, finding it probably at a secondhand shop or in a clearance bin. It's been so long since I've listened to it that I forgot I had it, but that's what this project is for, right? 'Least Bell's Vireo' is a piece for two just-intonated guitars, an experiment in timbre and dissonance that (due to the format limitations) sadly ends before it really gets going. 'Rising 33' is a real gem to follow with - the most orchestrated piece on the 7", with bass, guitar, keys, violin and a flute, it tears itself apart in all manners of South Island weather balloon observation music yet still keeps a few feet on the grimy NYC streets. 'Hen First' on side B is a 4-track recording of electric guitar jangle which is pleasant, yet slightly throwaway - and then 'Locks and Bolts' winds things up with an organ-driven pop song, with beautiful, romantic lyrics multitracked. There's a slight country twang to his voice and it feels a bit like church music at the same time. So beautiful and plain and succinct -- one for the mix tapes! I think he did a solo full-length which would be nice to track down (in addition to those Fire in the Kitchen and Tono-Bungay records, none of which are bad). The title is wonderfully appropriate as this music is very 'east coast' and windy - with clear direction but not necessarily force or gusto.