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AMPLIFIER
attitude in volume
Issue 42 May-June 2004
There is a compelling sonic schizophrenia at the heart of Meow Meow
involving distorted guitars, classic pop harmony and melody, ambient
synth bubbles, twisted found sound sampling and a creative mindset
that seems to simultaneously and improbably incorporate both art-damage
experimentalism and unbridled pop joy. Ex-Pink Noise Test guitarist
Kirk Hellie and ex-Brain Jones Was Murdered guitarist Christopher
O'Brien fist conceived Meow Meow as a side project nearly six year
ago but have only recently been able to realize a full-length version
of their studio frippery (with help from bassist/all rounder Michael
Orendy and drummer Norm Block). Imagine a jam where Brian Eno and
David Byrne turntable the Beach Boys while Fountains of Wayne perform
a tribute to My Bloody Valentine and the Flaming Lips make ProTools
origami with the combined catalogs of Weezer, 10CC, the Beatles and
Elliott Smith. And that's just two tracks deep into "Snow Gas
Bones". If this is the starting line, fans of unique pop invention
will be praying like the righteous that Hellie and Meow Meow are
up for running a marathon. Squelchy and sweet in the same earful, "Snow
Gas Bones" is an early contender for 2004 list making. |
