A Little Weird Edition: Horse Lords, Cloud Becomes Your Hand & Saqqara Mastabas
By Aaron Stein Aug 3, 2016 • 12:53 pm PDT
Horse Lords: Interventions
OK, after a short summer respite, the weekly RecommNeds is back and here to break you out of your listening rut with a little weirdness. Consider this an intervention, so what better way to get you going than with Interventions, the newest album from Horse Lords (out on Northern Spy). The Baltimore experimental rockers use a guitar that sometimes sounds like a saxophone and a saxophone that sometimes sounds like a guitar, creating hypnotic instrumental soundscapes that combine drone and groove in ways you’ve never heard. It’s different and awesome and maybe, just maybe, your new favorite record. Get involved!
Cloud Becomes Your Hand: Rest In Fleas
Let’s stick on the Northern Spy label, which earlier this year also put out Rest In Fleas from Brooklyn weirdos Cloud Becomes Your Hand. There’s so much going on in this one, it’s darned near impossible to describe the music. Psychedelic and, yes, weird (their live shows are a sight to be seen), CBYH nonetheless sound a bit more focused and accessible than their last effort – but don’t worry, not that accessible. Surprises of rhythm and melody lurk around nearly every corner, but, truth be told, this thing really swings regardless. It’s Syd Barrett’s Floyd for a Snapchat-able world in the best way possible.
Saqqara Mastabas: Libras
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, except sometimes maybe you should. I mean, if you want to know what Saqqara Mastabas sound like on their debut album, Libras, take a look at those kids worshiping Satan in full Technicolor. Seriously, though, this album features former Fiery Furnaces frontman, Matthew Friedberger with also-sometimes-a-Furnace, drummer Bob D’Amico for a wonderscape of experimental musical weirdness. At least partly improvised, Libras sometimes feels like an old Fiery Furnaces album minus Eleanor and completely instrumental. Free jazz meets synth-pop and all sorts of who-knows-what in between. Enjoy!
