Quasi is back with the announcement of their ninth and double album ‘Mole City’, described in the press release as ‘a set of anthems for the refuseniks, Molotov tossers, pacifist soldiers and bug-eyed freaks’,… okay!
We can already listen to a track, whose title is as confusing as this press release. ‘You can stay but you gotta go’ starts with a lot of fuzz and thunderous distortions, then Sam Coomes’ voice emerges, strangely clear in the middle of all this fuzz-out chaos, slowly transitioning the song into a catchy melody with the help of Janet Weiss’s powerful drumming and back-up vocals… it then fades away into the same static that started the song, like a rocket crashing on the moon.
But do you want more of this strange press release? Apparently this is an album for ‘those of us who still care about well-built, homemade objects crafted with integrity, spirit, fire, and skill. In other words, those of us who don’t fit into a world where the empty noise of crass capitalism, slick branding, and high profile hot pants have drowned out nearly all other concerns’, because ‘Quasi is the band playing as the Titanic of what was once Independent Music goes down’.
‘Quasi would actually fit in just fine if every other band had such technical control and ability that they could express each passing thought and literally converse through their instruments, could write meaningful, memorable songs, could sing with heart and humanity, could maintain a musical relationship for nearly a quarter century, could disregard the consumer-tested research and American Idolatry, and was brave enough to strip back their production budget and advance to zero, ditch the engineers, producers and side players, and head underground into their basement alone to record and mix over an hour of new music from scratch.’
‘And Mole City would sound like everything else out there if all the other records peeled off their absurd costume jewelry and piped pleather jumpsuits, climbed into the sweat-lodge, confessed their sins of avarice and pride, renounced all earthly possessions and ties, then kicked out the fucking jams. This is the music at an agnostic afterlife juke joint where lysergic teardrops are cried into sweating mugs of high octane hellfire, the bartender can see clear through to your every thought, fear and desire, the upright player’s head is locked into a guillotine, and the guys next to you are whispering conspiratorially about how to fix their time machine. Shakin’ blues, precision freak-outs, air-guitar-worthy riffs, heavy round droplets of time, fuzz everything, wah wahs, ya yas, ooh ahs, grunts, shuffle struts and chiming minor seventh chords – this is rock n roll.’
I am not sure I got everything they meant, but, one thing is sure Quasi has always been apart in the music world with unique songs that don’t really fit in any genre and form, with a weird style that manages to produce catchiness in the most unexpected ways.
And Quasi, who is celebrating its 20th anniversary, had to add this about the album:
‘This one’s for all the misfits of the world. The square pegs, the don’t fit ins, the out of steps, the misunderstood, the heads in the clouds. And this also goes out to all the also rans out there, the could’ve beens, the would have beens, the left behind, the out of times, the lost in the crowd.” – “An Ice Cube in the Sun’
The album, which will feature 24 songs, will be released on October 1st on CD or double LP (the first 100 copies come on clear vinyl) in North America via Kill Rock Stars, and via Domino over seas. There will be all kind of extras to celebrate, such as a Quasi 20th anniversary shirt, a Quasi fanzine packed with photos and articles by the bands plus friends, even the option to have Quasi record an original musical outgoing message for your phone! I can’t believe the things have to do these days to sell records.
There is also the promise to give you an exclusive 4 song cd-r of Quasi covering some of their favorite songs by Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Queen, Marvin Gaye, and Black Sabbath if the pre-order is placed before October 1st. Check it all out at http://www.killrockstars.com/molecity, watch the trailer of Mole City below and enjoy this ice cube in the sun: