Lunch of Champions

Guy Forsyth: Saw Man Extraordinaire!

Guy Forsyth plays a saw.  And he plays the saw in a way that I never imagined it could be played.  There’s just something beautiful about what he does with that saw.  Beyond that, I couldn’t find much information about him in my cursory search of Google and Youtube.  If any of y’all have more information on this guy, please let me know!  Wow!!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAEOmHxN4QQ[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAYDSUcNhO4[/youtube]

Cannibal Corpse Shows a Soft Side

Cannibal Corpse is one of the most popular death metal bands of all time in my estimation. The band’s controversial baby-killing lyrics and powerful rhythms drive their music, so it is surprising to see the following video of them just being regular guys in the recording studio:

(Many thanks to Billy, who provided this link!)

Heartless Bastards | “The Mountain”

The throne in my heart where PJ Harvey once sat has a new monarch. Erika Wennerstrom and her two Cincinnati bandmates will reign for some time to come, and more power to them.  This is sweet, sonorous and gritty stuff, a trip through an audioscape that another Ohio favorite (The Black Keys) once took me through.

Now located in Austin, this seems to be a perfect fit for the band. After all the SXSW hubbub dies down, musicians who stay behind probably need the ability to survive in those Texas blues bars for which Austin is so famous. Heartless Bastards may just live happily ever after in Texas.  I thank my lucky stars that they do tour, though : local Minneapolis fans should be sure to catch their show at the Varsity Theater on April 4th, 2009.

Dungen | “4″

After listening to the 4th album of Swedish psychedelic jam-rock outfit Dungen (pronounced “doon-yen”), I kicked myself for missing their show at the 400 Bar last November.   Dungen is a tremendously complex sound, one that recalls the likes of Stereolab, Iron Butterfly, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and maybe even Godspeed, You Black Emperor! .  Confused?  Well you should be.  Although they might be one of the hardest bands to categorize, they probably put on a phenomenal live show.   Again, I kick myself.

The album is almost like a band taking their own odyssey through the sixties and seventies.  Though they might get pegged as hippies on the first glance, Dungen leaves the Woodstock stage quickly enough to embrace underground jazz parlor improv, flirt with lounge music, and return to the stadium with Zepplin-esque thunder.   Probably the perfect thing for that mushroom trip I was planning to take at IKEA…

Adam Svec | “Enemy Swimmer”

For fans of supreme lyrical quality, Adam Svec will scratch that itch and then scratch some more.  Also the lead of Minneapolis outfit The Glad Version, this is Svec’s singer-songwriter debut.   His style evokes the fine-tuned qualities of Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), but has a sound entirely unique.  Svec’s incredible vocal range is machted perfectly with all kinds of uncanny lament eked out of his sparse guitar.   It truly works, and magnificently so.   His  mix of testimony and tales is captivating, personal stuff.  Perhaps a little sad, but the kind of sad that feels oh so good…  Definitely something that will be coming out of my stereo as I get through another winter in the city.

Solid Gold | “Bodies of Water”

Solid Gold’s Bodies of Water is one of the finest albums of the last year. Rich in texture, heavy in spunk, the album pushes the boundary of indie rock and creates a blurry line between dance, electronic, and techno. A great listen from cover to cover, Bodies gets 5 stars from this reviewer.

The fact that Solid Gold has blown up on the local scene since the release of this album is testament to the stickiness of the melodies and uniqueness of the hooks contained therein. Preferring to let the music speak for itself, the vocals are almost a ghostly afterthought, haunting the listener in the background, yet beautifully shaping the emotional reaction.

Check out one of my favorite tracks, “Who You Gonna Run To?” and also be sure to check out this band live when they return from their European tour in March!