Grandaddy
Concrete Dunes
Lakeshore
According to the latest indie music news sources, Grandaddy are a little miffed at their former label for allowing this collection of rarities, imports, and B-sides to see the light of day. Well, that’s the scruples of business, boys.
Spanning the years 1995 through 1999, Concrete Dunes assembles fifteen tracks of relatively mellow slacker rock, presenting in turn a more naive version of Pavement or Weezer, with a little more finesse than, say, Guided By Voices.
The pseudo-glam rock and spoken word conflation of “Sikh in a Baja VW Bug” illustrates a particularly frivolous end of Grandaddy’s musical spectrum, while the astral melancholy of “Why Would I Want to Die” illustrates the more professional other. In between, there’s the disparaging, Pixies-style “Kim You Bore Me to Death,” which allegedly has nothing whatever to do with bassist Kim Deal, and the tender micro-ballad titled “My Small Love.”
The band’s early modus operandi was one based entirely on whim, and Concrete Dunes showcases the hundreds of musical paths that one without any self-imposed boundaries can take. It’s an excellent primer for fans who came too late to the band, or those who want a quick fix of old tracks without hunting through used bins at the local record shop.
On the downside, the minimalist liner notes are a serious disappointment; but without the band’s consent, it was unlikely that any autobiographical info or amusing reminiscences would be included here.
Lakeshore Records: http://www.lakeshore-records.com/
