New Weird America

The Famous Boating Party
White Butterfly

From the Jewelled Antler Library series, Silvery Branches is the sixth volume of beautifully weird folk recordings. Eleanor Harwood's lovely, birdlike warbling is immersed in Loren Chasse's (drums, noises) trademarked subtle, hazy ambience and lead by the melodic landscaping and unpolished strumming of Glenn Donaldson (electric 12-string, keyboards). The trio gracefully compose ethereal, field recording-esque hymns which were largely improvised with lyrics taken from Kenneth Patchen poems. Jagged, yet delicate, this album reflects their inspirations from nature stunningly .




Jackie-O Motherfucker
Michigan Avenue Social Club

While excavating the beginnings of America's rural music, Jackie-O Motherfucker seemlessly unites free jazz, folk, and ethnic elements with drone and noise into an organic conglomerate of historical resonance. Fig. 5's unhurried and primitive sound wades through the backwaters of abstraction and dissonance, highlighted by the lack of coherence between songs. Yet the album as a whole is so enveloping and complete that submergence into its brilliance is irresistable and awe-inspiring.