This compilation is one of the most touching and enjoyable works that I have ever had the pleasure of owning. Something about the music on this CD, which acts as the culmination of a project by Tree records, touches you in a very relevant, and even poignant place. As corny as that may sound, listen to the CD, and songs like tracks 8, 9, 10, and 16 will stand out as very effective and beautiful expressions of the respective artists styles and feelings. Regardless of whether or not you like or have even heard of this type of music, which some might label "emo" or "folk"(but not to folksy), it's an excellent CD.
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This is an excellent roundup of many different artists and styles. I admit I bought it only for the Jen Wood track, which is the best song on the album, but there are other gems on the CD that make it a great buy. The songs by Braid, Aspera Ad Astra, and Ida are all excellent, and most of the rest are enjoyable, or at least pleasantly listenable. The track listing makes the music swell and fall in two cycles, with the second spate of harder music (tracks 12-14) feeling a little out of place. The only complaint I had was with the closer: Tim Kinsella's 'A Picture Postcard' is somewhere beyond unlistenable.
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This harkens back to some "emo" and "emo-core" stuff from the 90's that, though it was contemporary at the time, is still great to have cycling through your rotation. Most of the bands weren't privy huge success by mainstream standards, but all were known to many of my show-going friends who were in our 20's at the time, and in Iowa of all places! I have to disagree about labeling the Jen Wood song the "best on the album". It's good like all of the rest, but being such a subjective term...I mean it's probably one of my least favorite on the album, but that's not to say it doesn't fit well with the other songs, and I wouldn't say it's bad. Also, the Kinsella song I thought was really great - and I'm not a HUGE Joan of Arc fan. The Hal Al Shedad is a bit out of place, but I'm certain back in the day when I picked this up, that band being on the comp. was the main reason I bought it (I think all of there music is streaming online from an ex-bandmember - they split up several years ago, sadly), but even though it's definitely the loudest track, it's great like all of there music (if you haven't heard Ivan's Devil, you...well, you must). So relive some old favorite bands/musicians and discover some that went under your radar. Remember getting a mixed tape full of bands you'd never heard of, but ended up loving 3 or 4 of them after a listen or two? I see that in your future.
Amazon Customer Reviews
1. Aspera Ad Astra - Black In The Eye (5:39)
2. Cerberus Shoal - A Lighthouse In Athens Part 1 (1:51)
3. Braid - Forever Got Shorter (3:46)
4. Ethel Meserve - Belated Blues (5:40)
5. The Get Up Kids - I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel... (2:55)
6. Compound Red - Building (4:01)
7. Rainer Maria - Black In The Eye (3:34)
8. Jen Wood - Sheltering Arms For The Birds (6:59)
9. Still Life - Looks Like Tommorow (4:37)
10. The Deadwood Divine - And Where Did I ... (4:04)
11. Giants Chair - Lost Daupin (3:13)
12. A Minor Forest - Inter Continental Stalker (2:52)
13. The Hal Al Shedad - Solitaire (4:29)
14. Sweep The Leg Johnny - Walking Home ... (5:01)
15. Haelah - Fallen Away (2:56)
16. Very Secretary - Nagarkot (4:31)
17. Ida - Post From Disorder (4:13)
18. Tim Kinsella - A Picture Postcard (3:03)
