 Monkey
Power Trio
"Almost Clear" 7"
Pocahontas
Swamp Machine Records
Genres: lo-fi, experimental pop
Nov 17 - 23 2003 |
The
Monkey Power Trio is a group of five individuals from Ypsilanti
"who have vowed to meet and make music one afternoon a year until
the last member is dead." What a gimmick! Almost
Clear is the fruits of their eighth year's meeting, and this time
around they've come up with a clear, seven-inch record with some really neat
DIY packaging based around the theme of clarity. As far as the music goes, well, it's very bizarre. Goofy,
nasal vocals are laid over silly, elaborate instrumental
backgrounds. It's hardly pop, although that's the best way to
describe it. Side A is host to two songs, the most notable of
which is "Mike Smith Sucks," which starts off with a spelling
bee excerpt (spell "priapism" ha ha ha) and then dives right
into wacky, Captain Beefheart influenced pseudo-pop.
Side B, boasting the title track and "Systematic
Problem," is even more kooky. The first track is a spoken
word voiceover set on top of some psych-y guitar doodling, while the
second is a messed up piece of broken toy pop.
This 7" is a weird but oddly captivating glimpse into the
world of the five man Trio. And hey, I'm a sucker for vinyl.
78%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 4 tracks, distributed by the
band, released 2003] |
