Landspeedrecord! & Prosolar Mechanics
Urban Development Series Vol. 4
Ambiguous City
A split CD from two little-known (and poorly-named) bands always makes me think that the record company is pitting the two bands against each other, and that only one will survive. It’s maybe not true all the time, but you have to figure that if the label had any money at all they’d just put out full-length CDs by both bands.
So if my theory is true, I’m putting my money on Charley Jamison’s Landspeedrecord! over Amy Jacob’s band Prosolar Mechanics. Sure, Jacob’s got the sexy voice and the indie-girl look, but she also sings ridiculous things like “Bitches don’t wear black/They wear soft-colored nightgowns.” Prosolar Mechanics songs are long and drony for the most part, which probably sounds great live but doesn’t sound like much on disc. Jamison, on the other hand, is not nearly as sexy, but pulls off great lyrical coups like “It looked like a Comfort Inn/But it really was a prison to me” to the spunky old-school new wave slamming of a hot band.
The entire disc is worth listening to – hell, it’s only 39 minutes long. But I favor Landspeedrecord! over Prosolar Mechanics, and that’s just the way I am. Now, if these groups could just both get cool names, it’d be better for all of us.
Landspeedrecord!: http://www.landspeedrecord.net • Prosolar Mechanics: http://www.prosolarmechanics.com
