a coherent collection of random statements regarding God, words and tunes

OK, let's do the easier one first....

     The latest installment of Elisha Dorfsmith's Sediment series has hit the, um, streets. Never heard of Dorf? Y'r not alone. You've never heard of anyone else here either, with one possible notable exception -- and that would only be because for some reason beknownst only to yrself you read this blog regularly. 

     Suffice to say, this is indie music at its indie-est, and bully for Dorf that he keeps at it.

     Anyway, this would be Sediment 5. There's been a steady progression from the first entry to the fourth. That progression gets broken here -- Sediment 4 remains the high-water mark thus far. But let's face it: You've spent $5 on much, much worse. So likewise, if you want to support VERY independent -- to the point of commercial self-immolation -- music, you could do much, much worse than to spend $5 here. On to the music itself....

     This collection is noticeably moodier than past ones, probably in no little reason due to the fact that it's half instrumentals this time around. Even the lyrical contributions are more subdued than normal, however. No sublime Beatle-esque "Pauper's Walrus" (from Sediment 2) here, although we do in fact have a new entry from Louisiana's own Swimsuit Grandma (aka Mike Indest). And no wonderfully ridiculous Tom-Waits-on-mescaline "A Devil Named Agnes" (from Sediment 4) here either, although Philip A. Stranger is once again in the house with a new instrumental. (As already gathered, there's several return guests here, and several new ones as well.)

     Just a few other reasons you want take a chance on this: 

     1) Well, let's start off by sucking up to fellow mo'timers here: Tim Byrnes (of punk rock blues) is once again featured on two Sediment tracks here, this time by "Nothing" and "We've Lost the Afghan Whigs." They're both melancholy tunes that aren't near the top of my personal Top timtunes list (and why o why does dorf keep eschewing tim's 1900 songs for his Debut CD ones?), but they're both good ones. Heck, they're tim. I'm partial, but I'm right. (BTW, you can now [FINALLY] sample lots of other of timtunes online at http://www.lulu.com/timbyrnes)

     2) The two songs by Swimsuit Grandma compadre Eddie P. here, "Verdie's Song" and "Gotta See About a Girl," are both worth special mention, as they've both got this sweet Southern pop thing going on.

     3) I rather like the introductory tune here, "Far Away" by Salem (Longsilence) (whoever this is -- even I don't know). 

     4) Ted's Goodwin's "The Latest Thing" sounds like a bootleg tape-recording of a secret meeting between T-Bone Burnett and The Cramps. Need I say more?

     Heck, just go to http://www.dorfsmith.com/Radiant%20Store/Radiant%20Store.html and order a whole bunch of stuff. Dorf's a pretty prolific artist in his own right, cranking out Resident-like tuneage like sausage. And heck, chances are he'll cut you a deal anyway if you order in bulk. But you didn't hear that from me.

Posted by: burninglight at 17:43 | link | comments (6)

Comments:

#1  11 May 2006 - 15:13

 

Well, that Tim Byrnes stuff sucks but the rest of it is pretty bad too. Real folks making real folk music. Love it or Deal w/it.

timbyrnes

#2  11 May 2006 - 15:42

 

That's another way of putting it, yes. :)

burninglight

#3  11 May 2006 - 16:10

 

I shared your comment about "The Latest Thing" with a couple friends, and one responded: "Yes, you DO need to say more." ; )
-TG

(PS - You're the 2nd reviewer to end a comment about something of mine with "Need I say more?". Except the 1st one wrote it in Dutch.)

Anonymous

#4  11 May 2006 - 16:27

 

Hey Presumably Ted: OK, in musical un-shorthand -- It's good greasy creepy rockabilly, sung in flat but not unpleasant tones reminiscent of the former Mr. Phillips (you know, the guy who's pretty much produced every album of the last 20 years but can't see to put out another one of his own). Does that help? :D

burninglight

#5  11 May 2006 - 16:52

 

OK... I never would have thought of it as rockabilly. It was written in the early '90s and meant to sound new-wavish (and REALLY atonal).

P.S.: "Presumably Ted" wouldn't be a bad stage name.

Anonymous

#6  11 May 2006 - 17:09

 

Well, if it's New Wave-ish that implies it's '50s music in really garish "futuristic going on anachronistic" pleather pants to start with... :D

(I'm a bit wound today. Can you tell? :))

The Cramps were a hoot when they weren't jumping neo-quasi-Satanist ugly. Classic line (from "Garbageman"): "You ain't no punk, you punk! / You wanna talk about the REAL junk?" And T-Bone's milked that Tex-Mex/rockabilly thing any number of times himself. Anyway, it works for me. Glad to have heard you. :)

burninglight

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