Lil' Pocketknife / BARR
Split 7"
Deathbomb
Arc
Genres: experimental rock, lo-fi, dance
Oct 4 - 10 2004 |
With this split, Deathbomb Arc has unearthed two acts from the wacky new underground dance movement,
that new scene dedicated to bringing us indescribable
rock/electro/pop/whatsit oddities that are fun to dance to (or, in
some cases, gape and stare at). The songs' longetivity is not their
most important aspect, but the music is instead very much "in the
moment," most successful on stage or at a party.
Lil' Pocketknife is the act here I'm most familiar with, as
I was fortunate enough to hear singer Kristy's work with DJ
Shitbird. Their side of this record is particularly
successful, combining cute keyboard chimes with simplistically funky
rhythms and unique rap-singing. "(do the) do a dance"
is a revelation - it is funny, catchy and surprisingly danceable (ALL
IN ONE!) The formula is easy, but the cheery spirit and groovy
hipness spell success. "Dragon Slayer" is also fun,
but less memorable due to a not-nearly-as-interesting keyboard part.
BARR (né Brendan Fowler) is the other side's
attraction, and he's a spoken word cum rapper with a unique
approach. He talks about "the human condition" in a
poetic and somewhat rhythmic manner while drumbeats and minimal
bass/melody play in the background. It's a neat novelty -
nothing great - and the entertainment you derive from it will depend
on your affinity for the bizarre lyrical fare. This is beatnik
poetry for the new generation; BARR talks about psychological
disorders, popular music, and, of course, himself.
Understandably, you may
require a few listens to "get" it all.
All in all, this split is fun, though it's definitely a niche
thing. I'd say it's worth it if you dig really weird rock music,
though it's probably best live.
77%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
5 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2004] |