The Squid's Ear
Writing about unusual and experimental music,
following the activities of Squidco...
  •  •  •     Join Our Mailing List!



The Squid's Ear
Facebook: Squidco Sales

Heard In

Reviews of artist releases:
cd's, books, magazines, &c.


  Lean Left (The Ex Guitars Meet Nilssen-Love/Vandermark Duo) 
  Live at Cafe Oto
  (unSounds) 


  
   review by Kurt Gottschalk
  2013-04-09
Lean Left (The Ex Guitars Meet Nilssen-Love/Vandermark Duo): Live at Cafe Oto (unSounds)

The Ex is, of course, a band, but it's been so many things over the years we might do well to consider them an aesthetic philosophy, a standard, a practice, an ethos. Guitarist Terrie Ex has been the only constant member over the course of close to 35 years, and along the way he's seen them serve as an avant garde orchestra, an Ethiopian backing band, a poetry project, an improv outfit and even Belgian comic support (the excellent YEAR single "This Song is in English" can be downloaded on WFMU's Beware of the Blog). But through it all they've never stopped being a punk band, and at this point in the history of the world one could argue the greatest one ever. Unlike all the third-generation three-chord bangers keeping the hair dye companies, the Ex knows that what punk is about is dedication and abandon.

The urgency of the now is what gave free jazz in the 1960's and punk in the '70's (both borne of marginalized communities) their energy. But after a generation (five years tops in terms of musical lineages) most members of the movements lose momentum — though few move on, which is where the Billy Armstrongs of the world come from. But there are those few who were there at the beginning (the Ex) or who came along later (Ken Vandermark, Paal Nilssen-Love) and who keep the fire burning.

Lean Left is the quartet of four such flame fanners: Vandermark and Nilssen-Love with Terrie and fellow Ex guitarist Andy Moor. It would be misleading to portray their Live at Café Oto as anything more than a jam session: Two thirtyish minute tracks of dual punk skronk guitar, screaming sax and busy, ever-shifting drums. That's what it is and that's what's great about it, but what makes it work is that each of the players is willing at any moment to capitalize on the moment. Or almost, anyway. The first 15 minutes or so of the first cut are a bit of a proving-ground freakout but once they've got that out of their system they enter into a collective anarchy wherein each is always serving a constantly changing common good.

It's not a record for those who don't like that kind of thing, of course. It is what some might call "indulgent" or even "masturbatory" (though if anything it's closer to a circle jerk). But for listeners beholden to the immediacy of expression, this is a straight-up cry for glory.



Lean Left (The Ex Guitars Meet Nilssen-Love/Vandermark Duo): Live at Cafe Oto
Is Sold at Squidco!
Squidco




Comments and Feedback:



The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Berlin Art Quartet (
Schubert /
Bauer /
Muller /
Bruggemann):
Live At MIM
(Unisono Records)



Jimmy Lyons:
Rivbea Live! Series,
Volume 3
(NoBusiness)



Erik Klinga:
Elusive Shimmer
(thanatosis produktion)



Das B (
Mazen Kerbaj /
Mike Majkowski /
Magda Mayas /
Tony Buck):
Love
(thanatosis produktion /
Corbett Vs Dempsey)



Brass Clouds:
Escape Vessels
(Bathysphere Records)



Fire! Orchestra:
Echoes
[2 CDs]
(Rune Grammofon)



Sophie Agnel /
John Edwards /
Steve Noble:
Three On A Match
(Otoroku)



Satoko Fujii
This is It! (
w/
Natsuki Tamura /
Takashi Itani):
Message
(Libra)



Sorry For Laughing (
G. Whitlow /
M. Bates /
Dave-Id /
E. Ka-Spel):
Rain Flowers
[2 CDS]
(Klanggalerie)



New Origin (
feat. Christoph Rocher /
Joe Fonda /
Harvey Sorge):
The Poet Walks
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Simon Nabatov:
Agree to Disagree
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Von Schlippenbach, Alexander /
Barry Altschul Quartet w/
Joe Fonda &
Rudi Mahal:
Free Flow
[2 CDs]
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Thelonious Monk with
Sonny Rollins:
1953 To 1957
Revisited
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Daniel Carter /
Ayumi Ishito /
George Draguns /
Ed Wilcox:
Makeshift Spirituals
(577 Records)



Kory Reeder:
Homestead
(Another Timbre)



John Cage:
Chamber Works 1943-1951
(Another Timbre)



Josh Sinton:
Couloir &
Book Of Practitioners
Vol. 2
Book "W"
[2 CDs]
(FiP recordings)



Elliott Sharp /
Scott Fields:
Reimsi Geara
(Relative Pitch)



KnCurrent (
Brennan /
Cooper-Moore /
Davis /
Hwang):
KnCurrent
(Deep Dish)



Biota:
Measured Not Found
(Recommended Records)







Squidco
Click here to
advertise with
The Squid's Ear






The Squid's Ear pays its writers.
Interested in becoming a reviewer?




The Squid's Ear is the companion magazine to the online music shop Squidco !


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (32785)