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long wordy write-ups are unnecessary, let the music speak for itself.
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Showing posts with label secret message machine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label secret message machine. Show all posts
So here it is...my first compilation on 66 minute cassette with 22 songs by 20 bands from 6 countries, plus a fancy pants download code.
The Bands:
The Rebel
The Dreams
Yugoslavian Boys
Whatever Brains
Gummiknuppel
Year of Birds
Secret Message Machine
Made for Chickens by Robots
The Dictaphone
Bismuth
The Staton Embassy
Girl Sweat
Mutant League
Hun Bed
Drag Sounds
Summer Camp Casanova
Het Zwaarden
Lya Lys
External Pernicious Evils
Kaleidoscope Death
Limited to 100 copies and going fast!!! If you miss out digital copies are unlimited!
Order at:
gboronoise at yahoo dot com
OR
http://uuhngrehschpuggenuh.bandcamp.com/album/contemporary-music-primer
One of the main things I like most about Secret Message Machine is its balance-it's modestly confident but nothing is overdone, it's lo-fi but surprisingly clear, poppy but not too poppy, sometimes melancholy but not maudlin, etc. etc. like I've written on every SMM review by now. If any of you have downloaded "Capitalist Bastards Communist Fools" or "Orphanville" from this blog, this one falls right in-between those chronologically and sonically. "Abandoned Children" was made of out-takes from this album, too. Can't you tell I'm trying to do you a favor?! See some samples below. Even though it's good the first time around, I also found that this album really starts to unfold after a few listens. Time invested in any SMM album is time well spent. Download them all and find out for yourself, dammit.
Poodlestick self description: "Back in 2005, in a two story duplex on Wilson St, Poodlestick came together and recorded their one and only album, "Reasonable People." Although it is the only album released under the poodlestick name it is part of a continuum of experimental / noise recordings made by Erik Chaplinsky (Summer Camp Casanova) and Michael Barrett (Secret Message Machine). The first of those is blank_blank’s find the phantom limb. In some ways, this is the follow up to that release. blank blank went on to record as a five piece band and Erik and Michael continued the experimental recordings as poodlestick and then Mystery Pill with Chuck Chambers (Kaleidoscope Death). With intense drum beats and synth monoliths, "Reasonable People" has its fair share of melody and rhythm. Sometimes chaotic, sometimes ambient. The recordings were mostly improvised, with some set songs. Later the recordings were further produced through some overdubs, mixing, and blending the songs together so that what you get is basically two pieces of music composed of smaller fragments of songs."
To me, Poodlestick was always a great combination of loose, lo-fi, noisy yet musical, immediate tunes for short attention spans. Maybe why the band was so short lived. Anyway, this is great background music, which to me is a true sign of quality instrumental music. This Deluxe Edition also includes one recorded piece from their all too brief 2008 reunion and an entire set recorded and broadcast live on college radio (WUAG) in 2005, which is a personal favorite of mine. I may be biased on that one because I had done an uncomfortable solo set just before them, went out to Michael's truck to drink beers and listen to Poodlestick before going back in to join them for a Mystery Pill set. Good times and good tunes. Very pleasing spontaneous sounds.
Orphanville is more pop driven than previous Secret Message Machine albums, well, unpredictable beat driven noise-ish pop. Lo-fi Hi-fi. It's original, obscure yet oddly accessible, but light and rhythmic. Give it a few listens, it gets under your skin before you know it. One thing I find interesting in the LP is that the noise comes up, but the vocals seem a bit quiet at times, compared to the CD, which you can download at secretmessagemachine.com if you want to compare, and/or you could buy one of the remaining 100 vinyl copies. Play this fucker LOUD. Why post a CD recording of the vinyl instead of the actual CD? Hopefully someday people will be trying to hunt this vinyl down, and this will show them some of what they're missing. Suckers.
Secret Message Machine's 1st full length is one of those albums that seems a bit too strong to be a debut. Michael (Barrett: AKA SMM) seems to have reservations about it now, but at least he'll admit there are several songs he still likes. Any artist worth a damn is their own worst critic. From start to finish CBCF delivers one direct lo-fi gem after another. Recorded during the G.W. Bush administration, political and war protest songs pop up here, but they all avoid getting TOO political and none are the least bit preachy...quite a fantastic rarity. As always nothing is overdone, for example: pop, anger, song length, folky leanings, etc. It's all just right. You could say there are similarities to Guided By Voices, Neutral Milk Hotel, and other crunchy indie rock bands, but SMM has a voice all its own.
Secret Message Machine is Michael Barrett from here in Greensboro, NC. His music is arty, but not too arty. Poppy, but not too poppy. Serious, but not all that serious. It doesn't conform to any genre or trend but remains accessible. It's homemade and lo-fi but sounds warm and clear. It's difficult to describe in short but holy shit does it get under your skin. Few musicians with this much talent and individuality can remain so modest, and regrettably unknown. This album is a collection of outtakes from around the time of "Giants Madmen and Ghosts," which, as far as I know, he only gave to a handful of friends. Some tracks are more experimental, some are more bare bones than what ends up on his albums, a great Guided By Voices cover (many tracks here remind me of lo-fi GBV), but all are endearing and stimulating to the imagination. Some of you may think that odds and ends collections aren't the best place to start with any band, but if this is the stuff that got cut, imagine how good the albums are. Taking a chance on a SMM album is a chance well worth taking. More to come...
http://www.mediafire.com/?lhcpkzeyhslf8y9
More at:
secretmessagemachine.com
subjectivecollective.com
A track from the newest (and ridiculously great) album, "Orphanville," which you can buy or stream at secretmessagemachine.com
A live solo performance
I must admit that the first time Michael played me some of his songs, I immediately offered my services to be in a live version, and still do play bass in the live band. BUT, since I had no part in the writing or recording of any SMM song I can thereby praise the records this highly and not be a self-serving bastard.
