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- Heathen Disco Music Reviews #0054 (December 27, 2024)
Heathen Disco Music Reviews #0054 (December 27, 2024)
Catching up on stragglers: Flackside, Bilders, Elimaxxx, Poem Rocket, Loidis

Hey gang. Running down the clock here until the most vindictively uncertain year man has yet known coming to bear. These five releases made it to me kinda late in the cycle, but the first two (free to read) prove out something I’d like to underscore in 2025: I pay attention to the music that gets sent to me. Grab my attention with a physical release if you can; email me and send a download code if you can’t. It makes things a lot easier for me to sit down with music in the time I have scheduled, rather than chasing you down for it.
And you do this by sending it to PO BOX 25717 Chicago IL 60625 USA, or [email protected]. Please and thank you.
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BILDERS Dustbin of Empathy LP (Grapefruit/Sophomore Lounge)
A peaceful, beauty-streaked effort, Dustbin of Empathy frames the lyrics of late-in-life New Zealand legend Bill Direen, who’s been making music since like 1978, with polymathic accompaniment from Americans Alex McManus and Matt Swanson. You may recognize those guys from their deeds in recording bands, and performing as part of the Lambchop enterprise – McManus also backs up Simon Joyner (hence perhaps the Grapefruit co-sign), and I won’t easily forget a night spent hanging out with Swanson at the late Karl Hendricks’ house when he was in My Dad Is Dead, after a show I booked in college; he had some wild tales about session recording in Nashville, in particular the presence of and remnants left by Neil Diamond. What may not be obvious to the casual listener or newcomer to the Bilders oeuvre is exactly what’s at stake here: three performers who have both separately and together made music a life’s work for themselves in ways that haven’t given much ground towards industry or their own exploitation: every song here is underlined by one part real-recognize-real, one part sympathy and one part obligation (one could say the same for the labels behind this release) … it simply had to be done. There’s no expectations on any of Direen’s records but since most of them were made in New Zealand, with fellow countryfolk, there certainly are none that work like this one – largely gentle, meditative Americana folk, taking the backseat to Direen’s knowing, spoke-sung vocals, evoke a Mayo Thompson trying to redo Corky’s Debt to His Father with the lyrical input of the Red Crayola Art & Language era. There’s a surprise around every turn but the one that’s getting me is closer “Statistics,” with Direen explaining the wrongs of the world against a quiet, easy Little Feat-style bop. Now that’s knocked out by the actual untitled final track. A stunner, woulda hit my best-of if I’d heard it in time.
FLACKSIDE Useless Eyes CS (self-released)
Solo recording project for one Tom Begandy of Los Angeles, a full C-60 of good ideas. Lots of reverb riffing in place, solid drumming with a sturdy kick foot, and an open, dreamy quality – when not visiting the Galaxie 500 antique shop, it sounds like No Age working through ideas. An hour is a long time to give to any artist, especially ones you may not know, but I think a lot of you will be nicely surprised at how long you can stick with this one, and how many times you come back to the well.