by kevin diamond
Complete with couches for lounging, relatively manageable listening station, and a performance space/bar in the back that regularly showcases up-and-coming bands playing raw sets, usually as appetizer to an appearance at Music Hall of Williamsburg later in the night, Sound Fix is a staple of the Dubya-burg music scene. In this edition of Word of Mouth, the feature where we delve into the recommendations from honest-to-goodness, small business Mom and Pop record stores, we go heavily feminine, with new releases by Marnie Stern, Bell and High Places.
MARNIE STERN: THIS IS IT AND I AM IT AND YOU ARE IT AND SO IS THAT AND HE IS IT AND SHE IS IT AND IT IS IT AND THAT IS THAT
Not since Fiona Apple’s When The Pawn… has an album title been so long and so awesome. What’s there left to say about Marnie Stern? Chops, man. She’s got ‘em in spades. Heir to the Sleater-Kinney fortune, Marnie Stern can melt faces better than most Y-chromosome havin’ musicians with her self-taught, virtuostic squealing guitar lines and her energetic, vehement vocals. Her lyrics are absurd and obtuse, begging for dissection, but, like that pickled frog you cut open in 7th grade Science Class, you’d be better off leaving it intact. The cool shit’s on the surface. Her words often seem to be chosen for their sound and imagery as opposed to any deeper meaning. Zach Hill (Hella) provides production help and takes the drum duties, getting all Keith Moon on your ear hairs. Powerful music, and an impressive sophomore album.
ROADS? WHERE WE’RE GOING WE DON’T NEED ROADS BY MARNIE STERN:
BELL: EP
Sound Fix’ recommendation said Olga Bell sounded a bit like Bjork. Truth be told, first time I heard Bell was on Stereogum’s ENJOYED: A TRIBUTE TO POST Bjork cover album. There, she tackled an electronic-classical version of “It’s Oh So Quiet” that impressed. But It sounds a bit strange with she’s still aping Bjork’s unique word pronunciations on her original tracks. It sounds less like homage than a rip off. The music is decent, with enough bloops and blips to please a casual IDM fan. Opening track “Echinacea” starts with a novel idea: a cut up audience reaction providing the initial rhythm to what is probably the EP’s best song. It’s never good to start out with your best song, as everything else is downhill, but Bell shows promise.
HIGH PLACES: HIGH PLACES
Another band I first heard on Stereogum’s ENJOYED: A TRIBUTE TO POST. Strange coincidence. Their debut album has a lot of texture, with Animal Collective/El Guincho style atmospherics. Lead singer Mary’s understated vocal delivery melds well with multi-instrumentalist Rob’s electronic, world influenced backing beats, creating a sound akin to The Blow with more stamps in its passport. Opener “The Storm” hits you with middle eastern flare and sing-song verses, sung as through a metallic tunnel. The ingredients don’t change much from song to song, but the recipe evolves. It’s a nice debut from a promising Brooklyn due. Looking foreward to more from these guys.
