Crypto Musings

Darek waters the Garden State

Back in my college days at U. Penn, I would take the occasional trip northeast into the wilds of New Jersey, usually on my way to NYC. I remember driving through Trenton, as pure an industrial wasteland as you're likely to see, and being struck by the sad irony of the message "Trenton makes, the world takes" emblazoned on a gigantic billboard for all to see. Suffice it to say, between this memory, all the horrible New Jersey jokes, and my school's vehemently defensive rivalry with Princeton, I never got a great impression of the Garden State.

All that just changed. We at Crypto headquarters recently received a glowing review of Darek Oles' new album Like A Dream, from the Newark, NJ Star-Ledger paper. Thank you, Mr. Zan Stewart, for saving your state. If only someone from a Texas paper would do the same...

Download a Word document with the Star-Ledger review right here.

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Downtown Music Gallery review

If the Nels Cline Singers' new album The Giant Pin was running as a third-party candidate in the election, the Republicans would be trying to encourage Giant Pin's voting base instead of Nader's. The album has not been forthcoming about its stance on gay marriage, and it has been far from candid about its widely-touted revamp of the health care system. But in a recent newsletter, the Downtown Music Gallery joined the swelling ranks by lauding The Giant Pin, calling it "by far the best 'guitar/power trio' effort of the year." Nels Cline Singers for president!

You can read the rest of the review right here.

And if you happen to be in the Manhattan area, stop by the Downtown Music Gallery storefront at 342 Bowery Ave, between 2nd and 3rd. They have the best selection of avant-garde jazz, improvised music, progressive rock and contemporary classical CDs/LPs I've ever seen, and I've been to all three Amoebas.

Sacred syrup am I excited!

Today is the day! Our two new releases are finally out! The phones have been buzzing non-stop for the past seven hours at Crypto headquarters and they show no signs of letting up. Most of the calls are wrong numbers and recordings of Arnold asking me to vote for Lynn Gabriel for state assembly, but that doesn't at all diminish my excitement...finally, the new Darek Oles and Nels Cline Singers albums are available for pickup at your local awesome record store!

I called Amoeba Records this afternoon and they still had 17 copies of Darek Oles' "Like a Dream" in stock (that might seem like a lot, but they ordered 24,000). I can only imagine that they've got the Singers' "Giant Pin" in substantial quantities as well. An insiders' tip: if you bring your voters' stub to Amoeba on November 2nd, they'll give you $2 off of your purchase if it's $2.99 or higher. What better model for democracy is there than spending equal amounts of money on two of the least similar albums in the Cryptogramophone catalog? You can also find both albums at the fantastic Poo-Bah Records in Pasadena.

And if all else fails, order the two discs from us--you'll get a free sampler and be entered into a drawing for a signed, framed Nels Cline Singers poster. Schwag!

Guitar Player Magazine review

Commentator: "Thank you all for attending this lecture given by Barry Cleveland of Guitar Player Magazine. We're going to open the floor to audience members with questions for Mr. Cleveland. Yes, you sir!"

Well-dressed man: "Mr. Cleveland, I'm interested in Nels Cline, would you tell me a little about his background?"

Barry Cleveland: "Sure thing. Once labeled 'the world’s most dangerous guitarist' for his explosive New Music explorations, Nels Cline has more recently been seen weilding a Jazzmaster alongside Jeff Tweedy as the newest member of Wilco."

Commentator: "Any more questions? Yes, madam."

Well-dressed woman: "So what's the deal with this new 'Giant Pin' record I've been hearing so much about? Do they actually sing? Are there actually more than one of them as the name would suggest?"

Cleveland: "Fine questions, ma'am. On this second release by the Nels Cline Singers—which, by the way, does not include any vocalists—Cline and company conjure up oddly compelling forms ranging from haunting and ethereal jazzistry to monstrously massive nuevo-metal noise sculptures. Joining Cline are veteran improvisors Devin Hoff (acoustic bass) and Scott Amendola (drummer/percussionist/ electronics wizard), along with contributions from keyboardist Jon Brion and “vocalist” Greg Saunier—who each bring a fascinating array of harmonic conceptions and timbres to the party."

Commentator: "I have a question that I'm sure our guitar-obsessed audience would like to know--what sort of pedals and effects does Cline employ on the new record?"

Cleveland: "Oh, lots of effects are on display here as well—including killer Echoplex, feedback, and harmonizer sounds—but they are masterfully played like instruments and function as an integral part of the music."

Commentator: "That's great to hear, I was worried. Last audience question yes, you sir."

Scruffy jazzhead: "I don't have time to listen to the whole album. Which are the best tracks?"

Cleveland: "Highlights include the early-’70s King Crimson-like 'He Still Carries a Torch for Her' and 'Something About David H.,' the wonderfully dissonant chordal bass work on 'The Ballad of Devin Hoff,' and the lovely lyricism of 'Watch Over Us.'

Commentator: "I just wanted to thank Mr. Cleveland of Guitar Player for speaking with us today. Next week, we will host President Bush and Senator Kerry in a fourth debate on the topic of advanced tonal harmony. Have a good night everyone."

Etc.

The fine folks at Downbeat decided to jump on the Nels praise bandwagon and award "The Giant Pin" four stars out of five. Since it's not available online yet, here's the review in its entirety:

In the tradition of all great forward-leaning guitar trios, The Nels Cline Singers take their music both inside and out.

It all begins rather sublime(ly) with guitarist Nels Cline's "Blues Too," an easygoing affair with a simple arrangement and nice swing beat. Things get started when "Fly Fly" hits with Cline's pedal effects and distortion, a frantic arrhythmic beat and a stop-on-a-dime arrangement that allows all three members to show off their deep-listening skills. Cartoonish in nature, aggressive in attitude, "Fly Fly" is jazz-meets-noise-rock, and a real indication of what The Nels Cline Singers are all about.

"The Ballad of Devin Hoff" is a feature for bassist Devin Hoff that shows off his deep roots in the jazz tradition. Cline and drummer Scott Amendola hold back in supportive roles, while Hoff states the theme and improvises with his rich, woody tone. "Something About David H." combines both the reflective, almost ambient sound the group is capable of with a dramatic shift toward an outward-bound rock groove. That The Nels Cline Singers can move between the outlandish and the soft-spoken indicates a well-grounded sense of communication between the band members.

Check out the November issue of Downbeat (with Buddy Rich on the cover) to see the article in print. And buy the album already! It's good for you!

When did Splendid get Ice Blended?

The Giant Pin got reviewed in the electronic annals of Splendid e-Zine, a fine online mag if ever I did see one (cue Wayne from "Wayne's World" saying "so it's not just a clever name?"). Guess what? It's a positive review. Yawn. Can't anyone find something wrong with the album? When is somebody going to point out that redundant second end parenthesis in the recording information in the liner notes? Why hasn't anyone criticized the disc as a pandering and superficial bid for mainstream acceptance by hip-hop and pop-country listeners?

I'm totally frustrated. Please read the review if you empathize with me.