MIKE REP AND THE QUOTAS
A Tree Stump Named Desire (Anyway Records)
Ohio must be one of the strangest (and hippest) places on Earth. Not only is it the home state of well-known esoteric favorites Jarmusch, Thomas and Mothersbaugh, it's also where Mike Rep (a.k.a. Hummel) chooses to call home. Although Rep isn't exactly a household name like his native counterparts, he recorded his first 7" in 1976, the year Pere Ubu debuted itself to the world, and has been at it ever since.
After assisting Guided By Voices with "Propeller" in '91, things have gotten a little busier for Mike, who has put out four releases in as many years. His newest is about as individualistic and freaky as it gets, sounding as though he gets equal inspiration from Wild Man Fisher and Brian Eno. "A Tree Stump Named Desire" has the lovely sound of an immensely overdriven home recording. You know, the warm, fuzzy distortion of a 4-track with all of its meters pegged in the red producing a rich, noisy, yet harmonically pleasing listening experience. -DM
UNWOUND
Repetition (Kill Rock Stars)
Unwound, Unwound, Unwound. The last great unsung heroes of the exploding universe. The final flash of brilliance before the dying of the light. The Hermes of Athena's temple, banging away at the iron doors erected against truth and beauty. Repetition is without a doubt their best since the immortal epic Fake Train, and while the music isn't quite as immediate as on that original masterpiece, it is nonetheless refined to the exact point of a diamond. Once again Steve Fisk (see Tape Op #3) mans the boards as though he were the invisible fourth member of the group, playing his instrument. More than any of their previous releases, this record perfectly captures the ecstatic live feel of Unwound — raw, angry, poetic and absolutely sublime. From punk to dub and free jazz, Unwound and Fisk go places that are beyond most of our dreams. Much like the Minutemen's Double Nickels on the Dime, and Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation, Repetition is the product of a band at the height of its musical prowess, who through the physicality of their sound define an exact moment in time. -DM
STEVE WYNN
Melting in the Dark (Zero Hour)
It must be frustrating, as an artist, to always have to live up to your past. In Steve Wynn's case, the past includes Dream Syndicate's first album, The Days of Wine and Roses, a masterpiece of Velvet Underground-styled feedback drenched rock perfection. I've kinda ignored Mr. Wynn during his solo career, and what I heard was pretty washed out, over produced junk. Strangely enough, the merciful folks of Come, a rockin' Boston combo, offered to back Wynn up on an album, and here it is. Come seems to force him to rock out a bit harder than he has in ages, and the songs are up to it as well. It was recorded by the astute Wally Gagel at Fort Apache, in Cambridge, MA and mixed by Joe Chiccarelli (who sometimes makes albums sound too glossy, but not in this case) at Royaltone in Hollywood. All in all, a surprising success. -LC