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at a glance...
Hometown:
San Francisco, CA
Formed: 1992
Personnel:
John Darnielle - guitar, vocals
Franklin Bruno - guitar, vocals
Glenn D. - guitar, vocals
Daniel Brodo - vocals, double bass
In the Family :
The Mountain Goats, Nothing Painted Blue
Notes:
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Extra Glenns
Martial Arts Weekend
Absolutely, Released 2002
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For your reading convenience, this introductory paragraph will be divided into two sections. PART A - THE STANDARD INFORMATIONAL STUFF: The Extra Glenns are a "supergroup"/side project of John Darnielle from an alt-country-ish band called the Mountain Goats, and Franklin Bruno; an accomplished solo artist who was also founder of an indie band called Nothing Painted Blue. If you recognize these names, Congratulations, you are a music nerd. If not, don't worry about it. That's not important. PART B - THE MAIN POINT: This will be one of the best albums of 2002.
A few years ago Mercury Rev made an album called Deserters' Songs. What made that album great was that the songs had a timeless feel, as if they could have been written 60 years ago. The same is true of this one. This is a collection of perfectly crafted songs that often give you the feeling that you've heard them somewhere before. The song that will probably get the most attention is a Leonard Cohen remake, "Memories." Stark piano, desperate vocals, metaphors galore; it's a masterpiece. But it doesn't stop there. With its references to Australia and use of woodwinds, "Somebody Else's Parking Lot in Sebastopol", is a dead ringer for the Go Betweens. For anyone familiar with the greatness of the Go Betweens, you'll know that's saying something. "Terminal Grain" and "Twelve Hands High" are pop songs of the first order. I could go on ... I think you get the point.
There are no drums on this album. Not a single one. But you might not even notice that. The songs still have an energy. Despite the fact that it's just two guitars and bass, "All Rooms Cable A/C Free Coffee" is about the best 1:48 of pure lust you'll experience all year. They've even thrown in humor. Honestly, there's just nothing about a great pop album that you'll find missing here.
There's an old Saturday Night Live bit about a bunch of sub-80 IQ guys getting together to plan a robbery. They're all huddled around a chalk board waiting for their leader to give them the plan. The leader steps up. He writes the steps: 1) Get In, 2) Get the Money, 3) Get Out. That's what the Extra Glenns have done. They didn't bother with the inconsequential or the superfluous. They wrote 12 great pop songs. No 7 minute jams, no quirky experimental numbers, no amateur psychology, just 12 great songs. What a plan.
If you like Extra Glenns, check out:
Beth Orton Trailer Park
Go Betweens Tallulah
Go Betweens Bellavista Terrace: Best of the Go Betweens
Yo La Tengo I Can Feel the Heart Beating As One
-- Carl Ogden
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