Plain Brown Wrappers #6- Ethereal Dissonance















I have received a few comments recently from folks wondering when the next Plain Brown Wrappers is going to be posted. Well... good things usually come to those who wait, and I'm sure that most of you will agree that today's post is of the highest caliber. Let me first get you up to speed on a couple of the projects that I have been working on while battling the daily distractions of life.

Over the past couple weeks, I have been painstakingly compiling two lists: one for the Best Albums of 2009 and the other for the Best Albums of the Decade. Decade you say? Has this decade already come to a screeching halt. I am afraid so dear listeners, and since I happen to be a fanatic for lists and especially music lists, I couldn't resist the urge to work on an exhaustive overview of the best music from the last decade.

Speaking of Fanatic, have any of you heard of the Henry Rollins radio show called Harmony in my Head? I randomly found out that this show existed when I stumbled upon an interesting little book called Fanatic! Song Lists and Notes from The Harmony In My Head Show 2004. Since this random encounter my interest had been peaked, so I ventured off into the land of limitless possibilities, and the fruits of my labor paid off in spades.

This amazingly eclectic show is only available to folks who are fortunate enough to have the cash to plunk down for a subscription to XM. That is unless you know someone who has recorded the show. Hmmm... Who could that person be? Well, I don't personally know this person, but I can pass along this special little link to the promised land of Harmony In My Head. Once you dive into the mind of Henry Rollins, there's no telling how deep you can go. These shows are extremely addictive, so be prepared to watch your productivity sink into the black hole of apathetic pleasures. At least you can't say that I never warned you!

If that isn't enough, my mp3 player has turned into a lifeless paperweight as all of the face buttons decided to stop marching in a unified formation. I attempted to run the firmware update and it never completed, leaving the player in a perpetual state of limbo. After researching mp3 players for the majority of my Thanksgiving break, I decided to make a second attempt at fixing the unit. Finally after hours of poring over senseless suggestions on messageboards, I was able to find the answer and restore my player back to the state it was in before I performed the firmware upgrade. You will be happy to know that my mp3 player is once again functioning as a glorified random song generator.

And now onto the music...

I hope those of you who come here for the music haven't left yet because I have a mystery album for you today that will have your head spinning in circles. Every time I have asked someone if they have heard about this band, I am greeted with empty stares or disbelief that they even exist. They are typically pretentious music geeks who value the fact that they've heard about a band before you more than whether or not they actually like the music they recommend. These guys make a living tearing down the type of music someone likes because it doesn't fall within the confines of cool. I know because I used to be one of these people, the kind of seething, know-it-all curmudgeon who was too busy spouting off about what they knew to hear what other people have to say about music. If this record can slip below the radar of even the hipster music listeners, it must really have something to say.

Nothing more really needs to be said about this record because words will only cripple the foundation of your blissful state of mind while listening to it for the first time. Take a deep breath, dive into the multitude of sounds with an open mind and you will surely be rewarded ten-fold.

Some of you will undoubtedly be frustrated that I'm not giving you more of an idea of the genre of music you are about to hear, but I will continue to abide by these rules for the Plain Brown Wrappers series.

I welcome all of you to join in the party and venture a guess. Happy listening!

Plain Brown Wrappers #6- Ethereal Dissonance

Comments

No-head said…
Ethereal dissonance eh? Sounds good to me. Let's tuck in.
11:41 PM
No-head said…
Kevin, OK just had a chance to listen to it from beginning to end. For breakfast - it strangely worked. It sounds as if I ought to know it but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe because it's so damned eclectic the music never stays in the same place for long enough. I guess this is a trio. And they can play! Did I hear a bass clarinet, vibes and theremin in there? The drummer is a hero! Musical influences from all over the place. European "art" music, Ornette Coleman, Charles Ives, Henry Cow - any number of things. Strangely I don't find it particularly dissonant - in fact it's not a dificult listen at all. It's very tightly played, witty, clever and really, really good. As soon as I find out what it is I shall go out and get it. Might be another of your obscure collection of european jazz prog albums from the 70s or 80s but in this case I could be barking up completely the wrong tree. This is why I visit your blog - for surprises like this. But what does everyone else think? Come on guys I'm struggling here.

Peace

D
1:38 AM
Sam said…
really good henry cow/Xhol Caravan with a more groovy feel type sound. Really want to know who this is.
4:17 PM
Sam said…
actually, is there any chance this is the Hylozoists? (doubt it I know)
4:21 PM
Kevin said…
Not quite the type of response I expected to get for this one. Two of the regulars haven't even ventured a guess yet. Maybe even this series has "jumped the shark" after a brief bout of popularity. Well.. I'm gonna keep doing these posts because they are a lot of fun. Since I quit doing full albums, aside from the Plain Brown Wrappers series, many folks have stopped visiting. I guess it's just the nature of the beast.

Thanks to No-head and Sam for stopping by and joining in the fun. I will most likely give the answer to this week's Plain Brown Wrappers on December 7th, so you stragglers will want to get your guesses in before then.

P.S. I'm glad that I have created two new fans for the mystery band.

Best to all, Kevin
10:16 PM
No-head said…
Kevin, Shame if you got discouraged from carrying on. I've only got one of your previous PBW posts - and that was a bit of a fluke to be honest. But I really enjoy them and you have never yet disappointed. It's the discovery of previously unheard things which makes it so much fun. I've still no idea who this is although I'm very intrigued by your introduction to this post. I am prepared to have my gob well and trully smacked when you finally reveal the identity of this band. Not Canadian post rockers though, Sam. pretty sure of that. These guys know a thing or two about free jazz and the the European Avant Garde. Chris Cutler seems a closer guess to me but it's nothing to do with him I don't think. It's an extaordinary piece of work though. Could have been recorded in 1977 or 2007. Somebody out there must have a clue. Please!
Peace
D
p.s. don't forget I have VTB stuff.. just drop a line.
11:18 AM
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