Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Customer - Soft Comedy EP



Customer is...
better summated themselves:
"Customer is the beginning of what is commonly called the end. The idea is a simple one, creating music for the sake of creating music. There are no deep underlying themes in this music. In fact there aren’t even any members because everyone is a customer. They create some of the most under whelming sonic imagery ever to be conceived. Most likely, their message is… relax. Customer released Checkout Line in 2007, the Chocolate Ants EP in 2008 and the Soft Comedy EP in October 2010"


To be more literal I think it's three dudes from Ohio, playing folktronica/IDM. Some guitar in the mix, samples ranging from shampoo commercials(?), the X-Files, and I-wanna-say the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (specifically the segment the Hellacopters sampled in "Gotta Get Some Action (Now)!").
Unsure about the sample in the final track but it's pretty cool. And dig the cover.
The rest of their discography is up for free download on their myspace, and based on the quality of this EP, I'd say they're worth a gander(ing).



Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Undertakers Circus - Ragnarock


Undertakers Circus was a twelve-piece (apparent pair missed the photo-op) rock group from Oslo, Norway.
The band was founded in 1967, characterized by their dense horn-section and jazz influence, making for unique renditions of rock/psych/folk songs.
The band's first LP 'Ragnarock' was released five years after their initial singles, finally seeing light on Polydor records in 1973.

Highly slept on stuff -- the group is noted for being one of the first Norwegian rock bands to have politically heavy lyrics, and language barriers aside, it's evident they had their own spin on the conventional styles of the time. The album goes from straight out cardboard-cutting blasts (such as personal favorite "Løfte"), into the more obscure and delightfully weird dirges and sing-alongs.

Congas, flute, bass, brass, bells & whistles...
Def worth checking out.
They released one more album in 1975 as Undertakers Cirkus before disbanding in 1976, 'Brød & Cirkus
'.