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Monday, October 17, 2005

An Unofficial Review of The Fiery Furnaces @ Town Hall
Fiery Furnaces - Town Hall, 10.14.05

Normally Rajeev would review the Fiery Furnaces' show at Town Hall last Friday night, but since he is currently swamped with law school duties, I'll take a crack at it. Rajeev may still have a chance to post his thoughts, which will likely be much more insightful than mine.

The Furnaces are a band I appreciate, but not a group I love. They're a mystery I keep trying to solve. Their sound is a barrage of words, words and more words. I'm amazed that Eleanor Friedberger can remember them all. Call it laziness, but I've never investigated what the Furnaces are on about. Would understanding the meanings behind their songs make it all click into place? Seriously, I can study their lyrics if it would help, because I really want to love this band.

Friday's Town Hall show did not change anything for me. The Furnaces are still an interesting, confounding band and I remain incapable of grasping their point. The Furnaces burst with ideas, throwing them out in bunches. Their appeal lies in the intricacies of their frenetic, conceptual compositions. Tear the songs apart, diagram them like sentences, and they will reward you. Approach them casually and they may frustrate.

For more detailed analysis on the show, check out Stereogum, Fluxblog, and Gothamist.
posted by jason @ 5:42 PM  LINK |
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Dinosaur L
Dinosaur L
"#5 (Go Bang)"
"#7 (Recorded Live at the Kitchen, 1979)"
Not that it takes much, but the trailer for the upcoming Arthur Russell documentary got me onto an AR kick the other day, and I headed for Dinosaur L's 24-24 Music. 24-24 is thought by some to be the gem of Russell's dancier material, and it'll hopefully be reissued soon. The Francois K remix of its masterstroke "#5 (Go Bang)" kicks off 2004's The World of Arthur Russell compilation, but I actually prefer the 24-24 original (MP3). When I first heard 24-24, though, the standout for me was far more fleeting. The two-minute "#7 (Recorded Live at the Kitchen, 1979)" (MP3) is a tantalizingly short slice of a session I hope is sitting in full in a vault somewhere. Russell's cello anchors a percussive horn-guitar groove that quickly recalls (or, I should say, previews) !!! and others. And, like much of Russell's music, I love it not only for its sound but also for the era of NYC it instantly evokes.

- rajeev, 12.14.06
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