A gift fr one of Boston’s best show organizer’s and labels, you should BUY this compilation TODAY, Outlive the Sun: ERASED! Tapes benefit comp, post haste and I’ll tell you why! Well, actually I’ll let Jon Nankof, ERASED! Tapes honcho tell you why in his own words:
“First, to raise money to be donated to Cosecha, which is currently accepting donations going directly to undocumented immigrants living in the US who are currently facing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 virus, and Families for Justice as Healing, an organization working to end the incarceration of women and girls – they are currently doing work to support the release of incarcerated folks who are at high risk due to age or pre-existing health conditions. And second, to do so by way of organizing a big ol’ collection of music made by friends in, around and beyond New England.”
And beyond the awesome orgs that buying this compilation will support, and the deeeeeeeeep deeeeeeeeep awesomeness of the compilation itself, today as this write up floats into existence bandcamp.com is giving away 100% of the revenue they make on May 1 to artists; the creators, that make their music. Or in this case all the money spent on buying this monument to underground music in 2020 in Boston, New England, and beyond will go straight to Cosecha, and Families for Justice as Healing!!!
As far as the music goes this comp is 60+ tracks deep!? But it is sheer quality. I listened to it all, multiple times and here’s some of my favorites…
The whole thing starts with a “Come As You Are” (possibly my least favorite Nirvana song) fake out that winds up in wild modern experimental rock/art rock territory. That’s Other Joliah’s ‘Flight of Kumquat’. This tracks is representative of one of the strains found throughout the comp. Some of my other favorites of this “variety” (art rock/noise rock/post-punk/exp. rock) include: Marios Nicolaides Trio’s ‘Skyway’ exp rock, Lane’s ‘Glimpse’, Blue Ray’s ‘Piss Truck’, Queen Crony’s ‘Pleg’, Hairbrush’s ‘Passion for Service’, Creative Healing’s ‘Knowledge of Product’, and dune moods’ ‘DEL1CATE HEAD5’. All of these tracks rip. Some artists I know, some I don’t. Fantastic!
Lo-fi pop (and folk) is another connecting thread for this comp. It’s also the unofficial “sound of quarantine” so it makes sense that it’s repped here. Also watch out for a little guitar soli action here which comes courtesy of Sammy Weissberg’s ‘Untitled C (demo)’. My other favorites here are Greef’s ‘Blue Dump’, Lina Tullgren’s ‘Glowing x 1000′, Puppy Problems’ ‘villain story’, Brittle Brian’s ‘Silver Dagger’, nympho’s – ‘committed’ & ‘parlor’, Grace Ward’s ‘looking for a way out’, and Jonahp’s ‘Bright Light Dimming’. Again, some artists I know, some I don’t. Exactly what I’m looking for
For some reason I will divide the following tracks I liked into an underground pop category, that to me aesthetically separates them from the previous category of lo-fi pop etc. Splitting hairs? Definitely. But I have an article to write here!! Anyway, these tracks are also all favorites of mine from this monolith of a comp! The Full Salon’s ‘Human Possibilities’ is some underground pop that by its end descends into a true quagmire of experimental sounds. BONUS. The other great songs that fit this bill here are sundog’s ‘All the Time’, damien scalise’s ‘bug’ & ‘fear’, Nina Ryser’s ‘Breathe Again’, Grandmother Miracles’ ‘Arriving Home’, and Damon Smith’s ‘Frozen In Place’.
Lastly, but not leastly are the lo-fi and underground electronic experiments found in this bunch. Some are songs, some are not, and others bleed musique concrete. Rhubarb’s ‘Pond Rake’ is a miniature underwater odyssey that is especially fitting as I write in the basement of my workplace on this rainy day during the haze of covid times. If you seek electronic stimulation here’s the rest of my picks found here: j adam’s ‘whispers’, John Cushing’s ‘and then and always, time’, robin’s ‘desedimentation’, and Ana Woulfe’s ‘Syrup Song’
There are so many reasons to pick up and listen to this comp. They have been laid out for you above. You should do it. C’mon now.
