Microwaves - Attack Decay Sustain Release

Reviewed by Jeff Schneider

No one in Pittsburgh listens to the Beach Boys. You have to understand the gasoline jacket wearing and the drinking… the drinking… it is amazing, I love it, I am relaxed by it. But for some fucked reason these guys come along and start a fucking band called the Microwaves… it is funny because I am a brother of the drummer, a real brother I love him and have loved him so long it hurts, it hurts to not be in the same town as he… but lets stick to the program and review… OK, “come dry your eyes” – Neil Diamond.

The microwaves artwork on this thing is wack… It looks like a fucking flyer to a rave, or the Warped tour (sponsored by Vans), or the icon for Napster, which we all know Lars Ulrich fucking hates… but what Lars Ulrich (Yes, the drummerpimp of Metallica) does not get is that the music on this thing is truly unique… I am at a loss for associations, insults, and recommendations to improve. One thing that is certain is that these guys know what they are doing and do it well… this album has been a long time coming, who knows how many arguments, how many disses, how many ethical, musical, integral, sick, psychopathic, bestiality –laden conversations went into the manufacture, the creation, the birth of this disk? Lars Ulrich sure doesn’t. That is because Lars Ulrich drinks yeast beer in the Netherlands and Microwaves drink Yuengling Larger in Pittsburgh.

I like the self-control on this disk. The songs are complex. The Microwaves access a catalogue of music that few dare to ever educate themselves with; MX-80 Sound and the like. On another note, Weasel Walter the Oedipus Rex of all music un-holy and diminished (a composer really) and an active participant in musical slave trade, would and should love this disk, and I think he does. He mastered it, and that is a rare privilege people… So realize that shit. It in itself is a composition, like it or not. I have no idea what to do besides listen, the disk demands attention. It is not pretentious though; it has shades, moods, levels, and floors of emotion.

For the novice I will tell you this (like Richard Clarke’s Against All Enemies, I will dumb it down, sitcom it, so we all can understand what is going on around us.) This disk is alien, or maybe just humans engaging the Alien is more like it. They throw in some Philosophy to beg the listener to relate to the Alien. Chrome (1970/80s band, Soulseek this and your Soul will be enriched) fans would get the signal, as would Flying Luttenbacher (Weasel Walter’s “band”) fans, parallel universes but both dealing with the same musical extraterrestrial endeavor.

As far as audio production is concerned, this disk is a gem. It sounds amazing, mixed well, recorded well. It is Lo-fi enough to be appreciated, Hi-fi enough to hear the fucking songs. I am sad to say that this disk, this piece of music is a theory, one that is not in fashion right now… That is great because the latest theory in Music goes something like this - “Do something blatantly done, like Tarantino films, be from rich places, schools, parents or at least look and act as you do. Pout, and puff out your ass. Wear stupid garments, and wank on a Disco beat for too long. Make it happy, smiley music.” And that theory sucks. I know it will fall apart, and is… no worries. I commend bands that can see it and do not capitulate to the current academics of modern rock (as so many have, you know who I mean, barf!).

Besides, listen to the work that was put into this disk! These guys really play their buttocks off. I admire that. Laziness, and Disco beats are for sloths, a cardinal sin, a pain in the ass when you are in a band and you remember how amazing bands long forgotten such as GodHeadSilo played, listen to track #6 of this CD (titled Good Samaritan) and you will remember, if you never knew then God Bless you.

I picked up the Skin Graft Records Newsletter in my local record store Armageddon (the best) and it was the first time I ever saw anything in the way of advert for Skin Graft… I was very happy, but I must say looking in it and seeing such a great catalogue of music, this disk should have been in there, should have been in there… Regardless…

That’s all I can say - listen to this, buy it, I recommend it.

New Addition

PO Box 81162

Pittsburgh, PA

15217

Microwaves are:

Dave Kuzy – Guitar/Voice
Steve Moore – Bass, Voice, Synth, Samples
J. Michael Roman – Drums*

*That is John Michael Roman who collaborated with Schreckengost on the art I dislike… but Mr. Schreckengost was under a spell by J. Michael Roman and they took ecstasy at a rave and put this together in the van they both live in, under the on-ramp near Carnegie Mellon University where rich people learn ways to ream society more efficiently then their parents did, where mirrors are for looking at the self they want to be, and where toilets are for looking at the self they are, of course prior to flushing, prior to paying their tuition.