Customer Reviews

Opus Mixtum

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Imagine the missing link between Patti Smith and Dinosaur Jr -- huh? -- and that might give you Antietam. Some twenty odd years ago, at a time when women in indie rock (we called it "alternative" or simply "college radio" back then) were nearly non-existent, Tara Key was fronting an edgy, guitar-heavy trio that had, like J Masics and company, debuted on Homestead Records, maybe the most indie important label in this country after SST.

Well, this is maybe Antietam's sixth release since then, but it's still them and they are strong as ever! And the maturity shows, too: amidst the big chunky riffs and catchy hooks there is a probing experimentation evident in the trumpets, strings and piano that appear sporadically on Disc 2 as well sonic explorations of the epic closing track. Best places to start on Disc 1 are tracks 2, 3 or 5 (unless you go for the shoegazing, which is surprisingly close to where tracks 9 and 13 land). Likewise the middle of Disc 2 is just as strong: this is a surprisingly lean 2CD set with little to no filler. And take note of the numerous lovely instrumentals that Antietam spins throughout.

I've been following these folks for years and I must say that this is one of their best efforts to date. Out of the 26 tunes on 2 disks, 11 are instrumentals. Disc 2 stands out as my favorite of the 2 with some awesome songs on it. Take some time to check out the song samples. The songs cover a diverse territory. Good stuff!