POWERSOLO Will Change Your Life

If you don't know POWERSOLO, you should. Somewhere between Tom Waits, Beefheart, The Residents, and The Ventures, is POWERSOLO, from Denmark. POWERSOLO will change your life.

-PS

RAYMOND HAPPINESS Debut Album is Coming

 

Central California is in a bit of a buzz right now anticipating the release of the debut album by RAYMOND HAPPINESS. Admittedly, our arid landscape is not known for its alt-music prowess, but Raymond is bringing us some possible happiness - and hope. If their freshman project is as strong as this track (listen to WOLVES right here), we could be in for something special. Be watching here at Potluck for our forthcoming review of the entire album.   -P.S. 

PEENO - This Microphone is Broken

 So we ventured a number of months ago upon the wonderfully brilliant SAMPLER by Worst Kitchen Records and were so moved by the insanely abstract "BIG AND BAD" by PEENO, our good friends at Bad Itch Productions went ahead and produced a fan film in honor of this audio masterpiece (see below):

                                          
PEENO's album This Microphone is Broken is no less remarkable. We venture in our collected memories back to college, when we'd invite a group of people to a dorm room to lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling. With thrift store-purchased, lighted, decorative balls mounted in the corners of the room - we'd listen to David Lynch's ERASERHEAD soundtrack. There was mostly silence among us until some of the weak-minded would ceremoniously announce "we can't take it anymore." This is at least a ballpark description of the listening experience discovered in PEENO's This Microphone.... How might we ascribe to it a sub-genre of music category? Let's see - how about: 

70s Industrial Cartoon (?)

The fact is, the album breaks out of brackets in description defiance. Try to think of shades of the audio track for the classic "B" film Logan's Run (one of our absolute favorites), mixed in with occasional rhythm grooves and noises from 70s kitsch. While we love "Don't Play Ball in the House" our favorite track has to be the irrepressible "Wilkinson Funkmaster 2000," which conjures up something of a cross between a groovy, beat-nick gathering with the leftovers from a train wreck at a shopping mall. What can we say: We LOVE IT. In all, YOU will love it, too, if you keep your mind strong (and open). 

Pick up your own copy of PEENO's TMIB by going right here (if you can take it... ). 

Rumor has it PEENO is inches away from having a 2nd album recorded, and we'll be waiting with much anticipation.

 -PS

    

Why GRAND is still Matt and Kim's Best Album

GRAND remains the best album by Matt and Kim. We have reasons for standing firm on this. Bands so often start with a bang - like a firecracker in a garage. Then, they begin to venture into the house, with a few tech toys, while still working in the garage. Too often, at some juncture, they leave the garage completely, never to return again.

Hence, Matt and Kim. Their rare, lo-fi debut - is really good. It's a firecracker in the garage (yeah yeah!). But then there's GRAND - venturing in and out of the garage. Songs slightly more polished, but still raw. Like very early post-punk. It's just... terrific. With LIGHTNING, they moved into the house. Unlike others, we actually feel there are elements we like better on NEW GLOW as compared to LIGHTNING. The experiments are bolder. Yeah "GET IT" is a pop song but GET over IT. So what?

But GRAND is still the grandest.

Just give "Lessons Learned" a re-listen, and learn your lesson.

-PS