|
First let’s be clear: there is no one named Jim Yoshii
in this Pile-Up of musicians. Truth in advertising,
where is it? I paid for a Jim Yoshii, godamnit, and I want
at least one, if not several, considering it is a pile-up.
Truth is I got this free to review so I don’t really care.
Cheapskate? Yes, I am. Biased pretentious music critic? I
try not to be. ON WITH THE SHOW.
Too many guitars players spoil the rhythm if you ask me,
usually. The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up has three. I love it; it’s
the best component of this otherwise slack troupe. Oh, the
arpeggios! I am a rock nerd. They weave in out with
their slow sliding and sizzlings like mellow little spiders
building their charming introverted web. I don’t mean they
slack as musicians, but as a whole, I am too often reminded
of Arab Strap or Yume Bitsu or the list goes
on of male bands that verge on rocking their hearts out while
they sing about transitional times in heterosexual relationships.
Hopefully these guys don’t take themselves as seriously as
their sound implies.
I do like albums about weather and seasons though and It’s
Winter Here has that vibe going for it--icy and cold like
a drive through the country. The more I listen the more I
like these regretful vocals. The singer sidled up to me, and
I am surprised. He whispers an aside like out of Hamlet
or something--so dreary, in my corrupted ear and I am almost
won over with "Breakdown Championship." This could
be on K Records if it wasn’t slightly behind the wintry
whisper rock curve. The Microphones covered that gritty
ground too well. I am so split on these San Francisco Bay
Area characters in the drama of modern rock.
On the periphery It’s Winter Here is very appropriate
music to play while reading Dave Eggers’, A Heartbreaking
Work of Staggering Genius or playing dominoes with your
emo buddies on the porch debating who would win in a fight
between Goths and Indie-rockers as to who gets the right to
dye their hair jet-black. The clichés are intact herein,
yet still the Jim Yoshii Pile-Up stands svelte and upright
in the Cro-Magnon rock prairie. These twigs and acorns can
be ground up into palatable stew. Enjoy: Three and three quarters
Yoshii out of the five it takes to make a Pile-Up.
—Joseph Martinez
- Jezt Mit Iodine
- Shark Repellent
- Breakdown Championship
- Peter Von Pinnon Final Draft
- This is the Last Day
- Hello
- Before I Left, After I Got Back
- Monotonologue
 Talk
Back
post
in the webboard
e-mail the chief
Like this article?
e-mail
it to a friend!
|
