This Baltimore band has taken me probably longer then any other to process. When I first heard their debut a few years back I immediately connected with their post-rock influenced sort of experimental/art rock sound, but then the vocals came in. James Johnson's sort of howling talk/singing is not pretty, and I hated it at first, but it can be if you let it, quite moving. There is a raw emotional intensity that exudes out of this group that not many can imitate. Their new album entitled "(k)no(w)here" was created as a companion piece to visual artist Charles Long's installation at this year's Whitney Biennial. I don't know who that is or what that means really, but I plan to find out. The album aside from being one long progression, where each song flows into the next, is basically more of the same. But when you already have a sonic styling that is so uniquely yours, consistently stretching the boundaries of music, why change it? They are truly a band you can't really describe, you just have to listen:
***another blogger pointed me to this video of the Charles Long installation, would have been a great show***
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