Continuing the Contraband series, showcasing various finds and older, often out of print, records that deserve some ink in the blogololosphere, today we discuss Swirlies and three albums – Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, What to Do About Them, and They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons – all of which are very worthy of your attention.

Swirlies served as a Yankee response to the Thames Valley-centric shoegazing movement, though it could still be argued that Swirlies didn’t necessarily fit nicely in that box either. The group masterfully amalgamated both dream and noise pop aesthetics like champs, while also pioneering what was known as “chimp rock,” or music with a deliberately childlike, uncouth approach to songwriting.  Though they’ve not done a whole lot in more recent times, it’s worth noting that Swirlies never officially disbanded. As a matter of fact, they recently resurfaced to play three east coast shows in February.

What to Do About Them, released in 1992, is rather cohesive for a debut EP. Under the soundboard-clipping washes of noise is a touch of bubblegum pop that carved a niche for Swirlies as America’s The Vaselines. Dig the sweet and sour “Chris R” and anthemic “Upstairs.”

Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, released in 1993, maintains the typical cadence and aesthetic of the time as a freewheeling, sloppy recording. One important distinction, however, is Swirlies’ mastery of the quiet/loud dynamic. Songs like “Bell” have a real Ride quality in terms of soaring melodies and silky guitars – minus any sort of production, of course.

While Swirlies’ 1995 album They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons is still in print, it isn’t widely released, discussed, or revered, and that’s an abject bummer. Compared to their noisier, more disjointed previous releases, …Salons features cleaner production and more sophisticated, concise songwriting, ostentatiously because it is, indeed, a latter album and the members are older, etc. However, the band proves they still don’t give a shit by way of their classic muddy, brutal distortion. The liner notes state that no synthesizers have ever been used in Swirlies, making some of the sounds scattered on “Sound of Sebring” over the ’90s-centric, tinty, active rhythm quite curious indeed.

MP3 :::
Swirlies – Upstairs
Swirlies – Chris R
Swirlies – Pancake
Swirlies – Park the Car By the Side of the Road
Swirlies – In Harmony New Found Freedom
Swirlies – Sound of Sebring
Swirlies – Sunn

An intense ice storm swept over Louisville this week.  Something like a quarter million people around Louisville are still without power.  Things are apocalyptic.  And my car has a branch on it.

It makes you think.  I can remember, lucidly, what he was like before he had a huge fucking branch on him.  He’s a 1996 Toyota Camry.  He’s got four doors that open, as well as close.  The “y” is missing on the rear end, so when you ghost ride up from behind, my automobile reads more like “Camr.”  That’s where he got his name – Camr’on – named after one of my favorite songwriters (though the apostrophe is in a different place than the actual Cam’ron for logistical purposes).  Camr’on and I shared good times and bad.  He trudged on like a fucking champ all throughout the holiday pilgrimage quest.  He takes me to and from work.  He was excited to take us to camping trips in the spring, as well.

Camr’on was efficient – usually scoring 28 to 30 MPG highway.  He’s top of his class.  Camr’on has a V6 and does not fuck around.  It’s not easy being green, but Camr’on pulls it off well.  Under some light, he looks blue.  And under other light, he looks happy.

Though I will also cherish the memories that I had of Camr’on before he had a branch on him, I will love and accept this new Cam’ron.  It’s just like when my grandfather got Alzheimer’s.  You learn to love the new person just the same.  I’ll miss you Camr’on Sans Branch, but I’m ready to help you (and I as well) learn to accept your new branchful life, Camr’on.

MP3 :::
Incredible String Band – Swift As the Wind
High Places – The Storm
Grouper – Wind and Snow
Swirlies – Park the Car By the Side of the Road
Mayo Thompson – Around the Home
Can – Swan Song
United States of America – Coming Down