Countdown to ATP: 15 days

Magik Markers
Listen to: 'Blind White Alligators on For Sada Jane
Saw them at K-raa-K (how surprising eh?) and they blew my mind. I was sold, the greatest thing in fucked up rock since Confusion Is Sex and Royal Trux' Twin Infinitives. Frontlady Elisa Ambrogio has so much fire in her throat she could set every oldschool barbecue in a US park on fire with one single breath. I dug I Trust my Guitar, etc but the one that floored me righteously was this year's A Panegyric to the Things I Do Not Understand. Two tracks, two deconstructions of rock 'n roll's stinking legacy sprinkled with some madman speech chants by Ambrogio and the most awesome minimalistic bridges since VU's 'Sister Ray'. And like that wasn't enough they spoiled us with another landmark LP, For Sada Jane, which I might have played even more actually. Love the psychedelic nursery tales mixed with the fullblown decomposed guitar orgasms. Liked Inverted Belgium as well, the last couple of cd-r's not so much. Needless to say, a must see.
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Alexander Tucker
Another guy whose work I should investigate. Again, heard and read good things so recommend away please!
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Deerhoof
Probably the most pop band of this line up. They're the Magik Markers of (indie) pop actually, well sort of. I was into Reveille and Apple O' when those albums came out but their recent steering towards melodically richer and less chaotic ground, as displayed on The Runner's Four shows much more of their lurking pop sensibility. They just don't go the easy way and that's something that will always appeal to me. I'd actually like to know how pop they can go without losing their awkward fruitcakeian edge.
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Wooden Wand
Listen to: 'Babylon the Great, Pt. 3' on Harem of the Sundrum & The Witness Figg
Didn't they invite his Vanishing High or Sky Voice Band? Or are they already there in various other incarnations. Could be, could be. All I know is that Wooden Wand & The All By Myself Band aka James Toth can do it all by himself just as well. Point in case: Harem of the Sundrum & The Witness Figg, his solo joint, also known as The Joint James Toth Recorded Solo. A batch of creaking frontporch singsongs in an awkward Dylan vein that I happened to like a lot, and I'm no Dylan fan at all. Curious to see what's gonna happen, maybe he'll just align with the rest of the programme to cook up an extended megablues jam. Pretty awesome too.
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