Hot
Zex
"Album" Cassette
Self-Released
Genres: indie pop, indie rock, space rock
Vladimir Komarov
Shetinkina 23-19
Novosibirsk
630099
Russia
Aug 7 - Aug 11 2002 |
Indie
pop songs from Russia - on cassette! Mailed to me in a particularly
bizarre package, as well; the cassette was placed in a piece of paper
that was wrapped in more paper and tied together by a string, all to
create one big, fat, juicy parcel. Billed as "7 lovesongs and a
track about daily routine of an airport", these are surprisingly
cleanly recorded tunes that are, somewhat disappointingly, sung in
English. From a North American standpoint, these songs only feel
slightly foreign and unfamiliar, which means that you will appreciate
the fact that you aren't left completely in the dark, but you may be
left wanting something a bit more unique. In many ways, these songs
are familiar to some of the Crunchy Frog label's roster (from
Denmark), notably Learning From Las Vegas, THAU, and The
Mopeds. Fans of these and other similar bands will probably find Hot
Zex's eight tracks appealing.
While the band's name may make you cringe in disgust (or guffaw in
simple amusement), the music actually has a surprisingly serious tone
to it. "She Could Make Things Perfect", for example, is a
straightforward love song with songwriting that's kind of like what Guided
By Voices would have sounded like had Tom Pollard grown up
on a steady diet of prog rock. "Planets (version II)",
meanwhile, is a space rock song with a great melody. You'll be hooked
after one listen.
Altogether, Album is a very nice selection of indie pop tunes that
will appeal to North Americans and Europeans alike. And that's not to
mention Africans, Australians, Asians, South Americans, Central
Americans, Oceanians, and even Antarcticans! My only problem is how
the songs are split - there are four tracks on each side of the tape,
which leaves more silence than music on each half! Perhaps the band
should consider shorter cassettes? Otherwise, this is a fine tape.
83%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
8 tracks; distributed by the
band;
released 2001] |