Music Reviews

The Mayflies USA

The Pity List

Yep Roc

Honesty is so hard to take at face value these days, especially in music. My head is turned so often by a new sound or odd melody that it’s easy to overlook albums that are honest – plain, but honest – and find them somewhat hard to pick out among the rest of the unqualified crap.

Fortunately for The Mayflies USA, their particular strain of guitar-drums-bass pops out of the crowd. Building from commonly available materials, the band still puts together thirteen tracks of American rock and roll. “Highway Blues” jams the pedal through the floor it and easily earns its title. The opening “Florida to the Radio” features a mid-tempo sound with sharp vocal harmonies and a great instrumental break. Produced by Chris Stamey (dBs, Golden Palominos, Chris Stamey), The Pity List already sounds like a classic; this is worthy of incessant listening.

Yep Roc Records, P.O. Box 4821, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-4821; http://www.yeproc.com


Recently on Ink 19...

Swans

Swans

Event Reviews

40 years on, Michael Gira and Swans continue to bring a ritualistic experience that needs to be heard in order to be believed. Featured photo by Reese Cann.

Eclipse 2024

Eclipse 2024

Features

The biggest astronomical event of the decade coincides with a long overdue trip to Austin, Texas.

Sun Ra

Sun Ra

Music Reviews

At the Showcase: Live in Chicago 1976/1977 (Jazz Detective). Review by Bob Pomeroy.