|
|
|
BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About
LOTD
|
Le Pepes:
All Fun Things End
If you are in a band and you record all of your material in a studio and get the head of Shelflife Records audio/production to master a handful of your songs at Nonstop Sound, can you really consider yourself to be a "lo-fi" group while keeping a straight face? Apparently, the boys and girl of the defunct Le Pepes were fine with making music that featured intentionally poor sound recording techniques along with sparing use of glaze during the mastering process, which brings us to All Fun Things Must End. Those who were around during the Los Angeles-based band's five-year stint will welcome this posthumous release of odds and ends. Unfortunately, those who were not present then or those who don't care to look further than the Beat Happening and Guided By Voices exhaustive catalog to consider themselves knowledgeable about this brand of indie-rock won't think this compilation to be as valuable. On the other hand, this release is quite handy when one finds him or herself to be an aficionado of the indie-rock lo-fi subgenre. It is a shame that this band did not continue to record, but perhaps that will be its saving grace. Almost every track on this compilation features muffled vocals and distorted guitars that remain pristine but not in terms of slick production and shiny mastering techniques. Even songs like "Renting a Space Station" and "Another J in the Train," both of which were mastered by Jon Chaikin, sound undefiled, though they were in fact tampered with inside a studio. Those two songs, along with "Touchdown for the Visitor's Side" are the more polished tracks here, but they are far from "cleaned-up" if they are to be compared to other so-called "classic lo-fi" recordings. This release serves as a testament to those who don't think that the only meaning behind "lo-fi" is utilizing a four-track recording device and being overly melancholic lyrically. The main attraction in All Fun Things End is the title itself. Bands break up and get back together with each passing day, but the ones who will really be remembered are the ones who know when to call it quits. Le Pepes remain viable because virtually every song here is bursting with wit and quirkiness to the point where this album should not be passed up by anyone who appreciates Pavement and Sebadoh for those same reasons.
About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
