UNCLE WIGGLY: THERE WAS AN ELK

Artist: Uncle Wiggly
Album: There Was an Elk
Shimmy Disk, 1992

Uncle Wiggly was started in New York in 1988 by Wm. Berger, who now is a radio dj for WFMU, James Kavoussi and Michael Anzalone who at the time were members of New York band Fly Ashtray. Because of their unique sound and the luck of the music buisness they never recieved as much exposure as bands like Pavement, Guided by Voices or Sebadoh. Even though given the chance they could have done just as well.Their fourth release There Was An Elk, is a very jammy album filled with imperfections in all aspects of song writing, but it can't help but make you want to finish it. The songs, some too short, some too long have a distinctly 90's sound, but does it justice. Songs like Behold!, Nostalgia, Small Factory are gold, beautiful jammy 90's pieces that make you want to relisten over and over again. Between these pieces of gold you will find many nuggets of distorted, punky silver. The lyrics hold very little meaning, but capture the essance of their album and their songs. We are here to make music and have fun not to create music that represents a generation. There Was an Elk helps to continue my belief that the 90's was one of the best decades for indipendent music. It's beauty lies not on the first listen, but the second, the third, and maybe the fourth if you are so inclined. I was.

Rating 8/10
Favorite Tracks: Behold!, Nostalgia, Small Factory, Hamsters, Sunny Afternoon in the Forest
Avaliable on Mediafire: YES

DISAPPEARS:LUX

Album: LUX
Band: Disappears
Kranky, 2010

Local Chicago band Disappears is one of the best new bands in the Chicago and national independent music scene. LUX their first studio album on Kranky, is a perfect example of the newest revival of the hypnotic shoegaze rock music of the 1990's. Bands like Deerhunter and Disappears have taken heavy influence from previous rock innovators My Bloody Valentine and Chapterhouse and created strikingly edgy music while retaining an original sound, Deerhunter leaning toward more a more poppy, ambient sound, while Disappears takes a more 60's Stooges, psych-punk direction. While disappears may have guitars that hone more distortion, both bands seem to have very tight control of their sound and LUX is a great example of Disappear's ability to harness their years of experience in music. Lead singer Brian Case, previously a guitarist and member of another local Chicago band The Ponys, and other members of the band playing in different groups are able to bring their experiences together to create an album that allows them to express new ideas while straying away from previous mistakes they have made on albums. LUX opens with a powerful, fortress of a song, Gone Completely, who's bass and guitars blend in to a wall of sound that becomes impenetrable by the end. Case who sings through a microphone that has been attached to a delay pedal, creates an ominous voice that you happily follow while it guides you through many of their songs. Lead guitarist  Jonathan Van Herik's distorted reverb doused lead guitar, creates a place for the listener to attach themselves to many of Disappears jammy sounding songs like Little Ghost and Magics. There are a few songs that seem underdeveloped, but still make you want to bang your head to Graeme Gibson's very tribal, rhythmic drumming.
There are a few punky songs on LUX like Old Friend and New Cross which are enjoyable on their own, but distract from the hypnotic tendencies the other songs on the album have. A few songs on LUX become repetitive, but never was I bored with this album. Through LUX disappears is able to transmit a potent sound that combines psych, punk, rock, and shoegaze to create not only a great album, but a great live show. Disappears demonstrates not only in LUX but their newest album GUIDER that they are band that are capable of great things things. With the recent addition of Sonic Youth's Steve Shelly who knows where the band will go.

Rating: 7/10
Favorite Tracks: Gone Completely, Magics, Lux, Little Ghost
Available on Mediafire: YES