The Cricket Rumor Mill
Renderings
Loose Thread
How unutterly awful must a post-rock band named “The Cricket Rumor Mill” whose first album, 41 minutes long and saddled with the poor-ass name of Renderings, was recorded from 1998 to 2000 and is only now being issued? I mean, hell, you’re just setting old Hank up for some serious critical spikage, here. Whip out the old thesaurus and get ready to do some damage, right?
Um… well, actually, they’re pretty damned good. I liked ‘em from the very first song, “Frisbee” – the drums are funky, the guitar rings, the bass keeps everything settled down, and the song actually goes a couple of places I wouldn’t have thought it would go. “Give Me a Day (Or Two)” is wistful… but in a good way, if that’s possible. They do a number with a child’s xylophone called “Sonic Frito” and it neither sucks nor sounds like John McEntire broke into the studio. And that kickin’ acid-jazz beat on closer “The Liquorice Tin” just seals the deal.
Three Chicago guys named Mark, Jon, and Joe. Gotta root for The Cricket Rumor Mill – maybe they’ll take less than four years to get their second CD released.
The Cricket Rumor Mill: http://www.cricketrumormill.com
