Peak Twins/Scott & Charlene’s Wedding – split LP (Night-People/Bedroom Suck)
Australian bands get a foothold in tiny American economies (this is the first of a proposed split release series between Bedroom Suck and Night-People), and I’m reminded of that episode of “The Simpsons” where Bart sneaks that toad down under and it destroys the ecosystem. I don’t think that’s actually going to happen, and almost every record that comes in from that far away seems to shine on its own power, and this one is decent enough but this one doesn’t quite get there. Peak Twins are two people fixated on the reverb tanks in their guitar amps, playing moody, twangy death-pop, shackled to the Wall of Sound (that cover of “Needles and Pins” doesn’t really say different). Scott & Charlene’s Wedding appears to be a bunch of ex-pats and perhaps one American (this guy Ian, who I think is the same dude who played in Hominid, who nobody remembers), living in New York somewhere. From what I understand, it’s the group of one Craig Dermody, backed by whoever’s around at the time. They are a bit better, doing a jangly but proper sort of guitar pop, verbose and a little mealy but generally OK. My favorite thing about them is the hand-adorned cover of their LP that precedes this one, which I look at from time to time when I need a laugh. Nice enough, but still I am a bit unruffled; both projects need a little more gravity.To paraphrase said episode, Pobody’s Nerfect in Australia. (http://www.raccoo-oo-oon.org/np) (http://www.bedroomsuckrecords.com)
(Doug Mosurock)
