It's getting cold in herre. Shrill moans and varying background noises fill the smoke-clogged air of Cat's Cradle. This is Cold Sides, a local Electro-rock outfit, and they're the first of six area bands to perform this Cradle night. Feral growling from des_ark, incredibly-catchy power-pop from the Rosebuds, mellowed crooning from North Elementary, riff-filled melodies from The Sames and the spastic yet fashionable stylings from Jett Rink soon follow.
This is the debut party for Compulation, a local compilation (nice turn of phrase, ain't it?) of indie musicians mostly from Durham and Chapel Hill. The album itself is a release from Durham-based Pox World Empire; it doesn't get any more home-grown than this. For those of you who were not paying attention: Yes, there's still a Chapel Hill rock community, which has been present and thriving for the last 15 years. But to understand this CD, you needn't know the history of the area or how local bands Archers of Loaf, Superchunk and Polvo in the early '90s were instrumental in shaping the sound of indie rock today.
The album really does speak for itself. The brainchild of Pox World's chief Zeno Gill and Mark Lebetkin, this CD flows incredibly well, especially considering there are 21 different songs by 21 different acts featured.
And unlike the majority of compilations, none of the selected songs are duds. Some of them are the best material that you'll hear from these bands. Farblondjet sings a new neo-fem mantra with the phrase, "That's right, nobody asked you," while Pleasant spins a pop gem with rapid-fire guitar strumming and delightful Dr. Demento-ish vocals. The Nein's "War Is On the Radio" should be the new rock anthem and with "Silver Balloon," Gerty is bringing back New Wave in style.
If all that isn't enough, along with your disc, you also receive a nifty red-and-white Pox World sticker that reads "A Tiny Revolution." Indeed, Compulation could be the tiny revolution that makes people realize that top-quality independent music never left the area. It's been here all the while.
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