Two years ago we sent Alyson Camus to a Bridgetown records Showcase and here is what she had to say about Nicole Kidman: "Their set was very short but they had spread on the floor for the occasion balloons, lights and candies giving a sort of party ambiance. Nicole Kidman (Jon Barba) played a wobbling Yahama organ while singing with a hurting and high-pitched voice while Kevin’s fuzzy and atmospheric guitar filled the space left over. The result made me think right away about Daniel Johnston, because of some sort of innocence coming from the music, but especially because of Kidman’s fragile, shaky and crying voice, there was something so unusual and a little silly at the same time, but moving nevertheless. Too bad it was so short."Listening to the recently released, totally fabulous 8 track CD Aching Nothing, it is apparent nothing much has changed. Some guy on Tumblr called NK's songs "casio Tones" and that's a pretty smart way of putt ting it. Released On Milo, Sorghum And Maize Records, it is a lo-fi tune field high point for DIY, along with Jon Barba (Aka NK) three songs on a seven inch split with Kevin Greenspon. Already Dead, they amount to the sound of the year. So completely unique and weirdly addictive, the melodies never waiver, but come at you in waves, while the keyboards softly maintain a hold on high quality tunes.
From Already Dead, "The Ice Cream Song" sounds like a revivalists Jonathan Richman, and on the album, "I Read Your Texts For The Fourth Time Tonight" is indie pop par excellent, and along with Greenspon's "Open Book", a single handed reason to roar out your support for the Lo-Fi DIY scene. It is a strange song, an outro loser anthem, that is emerging as one of my biggest songs of the year, it kinda stutters in disillusion, like velvet Underground gone even lower fi.
Neither songs are exceptions, track after track, 11 between the two, are ear candy. They should be huge in college…. maybe even bigger in High School.
Aching Nothing: Grade: A
Already Dead: Grade: A