GLASS

The rebirth, reintroduction and supposed reinvention of the sounds that I grew up with is an interesting phenomenon. On the one hand it's nice to hear a band that is so instantly comfortable, but it strikes an awkward chord to hear people who were not born when you were in high school emulating the bands you listened to when you were in high school. This isn't a "fukk the kids" stance, nothing could be further from my intent...it's just a shock to the system when the cool kids of today are taking their cues from bands that were absolutely not cool at the time, at least not where I came from. In the late '80s we listened to HÜSKER DÜ and THE OCEAN BLUE, and loved each with equal fervor, and that dichotomy evolved into musical ears in the early '90s that were tuned to BORN AGAINST and GRIMPLE as much as MY BLOODY VALENTINE and SONIC YOUTH. I say this not to imply that GLASS is reminiscent of any of those bands, but rather to imply that they appear to have been forged from similar steel, a life of outcast obsession that resulted in genuinely original sounds...sounds that sank into complete obsolescence. This four song release, apparently recorded at a coffee shop, draws from '80s goth as well as brooding indie bands of the day, but adds an inexplicable edge to the package that makes it all the more intriguing two decades later. There are only four songs here, but "¿Bleed?" is a killer (though subdued) noise rock instrumental fronted by guitars that were hopefull(less)y destined for greatness, while "Looking Glass" blatantly lifts a riff from a then massively popular song and throws Siouxsie wails on top. "Push Down A Staircase" and "My Favorite Parking Meter" are supercharged goth/punk burners, propelled by driving drums and howling vocals. I know nothing about this band - who they were, where they were from, what they became - but Mark gave me this tape last year and I was pulled in instantly. GLASS remind me of how I felt when I first heard Nebraska's SOME KIND OF CREAM...and while I seriously doubt that will mean anything to anyone who reads this, suffice to say that it was a positive feeling (and now I'm going to listen to the SOME KIND OF CREAM 45 and see if comparison is a musical or ethereal one....).

RECORDED AT ESPRESSO 22

Update: I have apparently purged the SOME KIND OF CREAM record over the years (it was probably a wise decision, as I cannot remember when I last listened to it). I would be very happy if anyone could let me hear that record, sell me that record, or tell me anything about the band GLASS that I have posted today. I am feeling a little nostalgic.