Customer Reviews

Quicksand: Cradlesnakes

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

On Quicksand:Cradlesnakes, Califone combine(mostly) acoustic sounds with tape loops, synth sound and myriad percussive instruments, which has been their defining trait since the some of the members of this group made the last Red Red Meat record (There's a Star Above the Manger Tonight).

The result here is quite simply some of the most beautiful and intriguing music around because they get all these disparate sounds to coalesce into a seamless combination that makes the modern touches sound just as 'traditional' as the familiar instruments...

Quiet moments of Delta-like Blues, Appalachian country or Indie-pop explode into feedback-drenched overdubs and morph back again as the band obliterates the idea of verse-verse-chorus rock to create something fresh and transcendent.

Not to dis the other reviewer, but this sounds nothing like Wilco -- and I like both the band and their 'experimental' record, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. But YHF uses dissonance and synthetic noise to set up a clash with the traditional sounds of guitar, bass, drums, etc., whereas Quicksand -- like all of Califone's records -- manages to combine the two into an organic whole. It's musical alchemy, frankly, and Tim Rutili and Co. are wizards at this.

I'd also heartily recommend their entire back catalogue, too, especially Roomsound, their previous disc, and Sometimes Good Weather Follows Bad People (two out-of-print EPs plus two unreleased tracks); both work VERY well by themselves and will please anyone who enjoys the unique formula Califone may have perfected with Quicksand...

This is one of my favorite albums. Simple, yet complex. Gentle acoustic strumming with wonderful feedback in the background. How songs like "Vampiring Again" never get pub amazes me. Great song writing, great production, great musicianship. Califone has it all.

As good but not as immediately accessible as Roomsound. Listen to it 4 times before you even decide how you feel about it. It comes on like generic valium and leaves you with a smile on your face. The sound is a little more raucous than previous releases, but if you are a fan of the band; you must have this album.

Straddling the line between alt-country band and wild, avant-garde studio project, Califone has a voracious appetite for experimentation. They also know how to write a good song. Quicksand/Cradlesnakes is adventurous, hightly textured, and occasionally out-there.

Percussionist Ben Masserella lays down positively thick rhythm tracks, putting all kinds of found objects to work. A standard drum kit is used on only a few songs. On the rest, shakers, various metallic clinks and clanks, buzzes, and de-tuned tom-toms drive the music forward. Sometimes the percussion threatens to outshine the rest of the band with its constantly shifting intricacies.

The ambient sounds Califone achieves here (with the help of producer Graeme Gibson) are impressive. Listen on headphones, and you'll hear amps buzzing, musicians coughing, and fingers sliding across guitar strings. This decidedly un-slick production makes every sound on the record seem up-close, as though you're hearing it live in the studio rather than through your stereo.

Of course, all of this expert studio technique is worth nothing without good songs to back it up. Fortunately, singer-songwriter Tim Rutili delivers. The pensive "Horoscopic Amputation Honey" opens the record with Rutili's warm rasp and spare piano chords rising and falling over a slow steady beat. The lyrics are oblique, fractured almost, but they fit the music perfectly. "Buzzing like a worn out fret," he sings, in what could be a description of his band's sound. "We'll cut our hair and fake our death." The stomping, Velvet Underground-esque "Your Golden Ass" is a standout, with its dueling drum kits and stuttering, distorted guitar. But the real winner is "Vampiring Again". It sounds like a lost country-rock classic, boasting an aching melody, wistful lyrics, and a heartfelt vocal.

Quicksand/Cradlesnake establishes Califone as an ambitious band with the songwriting chops to back up its penchant for studio strangeness. The album might not be their defining masterpiece --a few of the songs get lost in murkiness -- but it definitely points them in the right direction.

Tyler Wilcox
Junkmedia.org Review

Genre(s): Experimental, Bluegrass, Indie Rock

The Music: They rely heavily on string instruments such as the bango, acoustic, slide and electric guitars, mandolin and fiddle. Add to that, simple piano chords, experimental sounds of buzzing, kitchen sink clinking and clanging, and a sharp focus on percussion and you've got Califone.

Who to compare them to: Well, there's the obvious comparison to Wilco (esp. since they've toured together), but Califone is definitely quirkier.

Vocals: Tim Rutili, subtly backed by Jim Becker and Gabrielle McLaughlin, has a gravely, easygoing melodic voice, remarkably similar to Lyle Lovett. There isn't any belt-out singing on this record, the focus is more on the music, and the vocals work as a perfect accompaniment.

Standout Songs: Horoscopic Amputation Honey, Michigan Girls, Your Golden Ass, Million Dollar Funeral

Additional commentary: This is the only album I own by Califone. I've learned from various reviews that their previous albums, though interesting, were somewhat inconsistent and awkward and this album stands out as their best work yet. My only qualm with this album is that the end fizzles out into similar sounding songs, which are long and redundant. But for the songs they deliver up to track 9, it's definitely worth owning and getting regular play.

With Califone's seemingly heterogeneous mix of country, post-rock and found sound avant-gardism, one could say that the band has too much of a corner on their market to brook any real competition. Still, it's hard to imagine anyone doing it better. Like all of Califone's releases thus far, "Quicksand/Cradlesnakes" rides on the back of frontman Tim Rutili's folky, country-fried guitar work, but he allows the experimental Chicago influence to creep in with clanking percussion and all manner of odd, grimy noises. On those songs, the figurative clash between oldness and modernity is apparent, and quite poignant, but Rutili can still write a beautifully spare, man-and-his-guitar torch song like "Stepdaughter," soundly beating Iron & Wine at his own game. In its tensest moments and its most plaintive ones, with every creaking sigh and earnest strum, "Quicksand/Cradlesnakes" mirrors the intricacies of modern America with unrivalled grace.

Califone are a strange band to really pigeonhole. They are kind of folky, but that is mostly because they play acoustic. But they are never afraid to incorporate other instruments, whether it be unusual percussion, banjo, feedback, etc. But they occasionnally make some creative and fascinating music, and this album is their best one.

Unlike on other albums, the experimentation is in the instrumentation, rather than the structure. Some of their earlier songs seemed half-baked, awkward, or quirky without a reason to be so. This changes on this album. The percussion on "Michigna Girls" is jarring...it's almost Asian in its style. But it isn't distracting, but rather gives warmth to an already great song. "Yer Golden Ass" may not be the smartest track, but the whiplash slide guitar is a great touch. Many of the songs are at the same time familiar and unorthodox, which is why a lot of bands compare Califone to Wilco. They are not the same band, for as this record shows, the band still is a little sloppy and not all of the ideas are seamlessly integrated. But when this band is on, they can be great, and this album is the best place to hear their music.

I thought I had a pretty good overview on alternative country, americana and related
genres, where this belong, but somehow Califone have slipped under my radar.
With the exception of the hard to get "Deceleration One" I have bought everything they
have released the last couple of months, and I'm amazed I haven't picked up on them
earlier, as all their albums hold a lot of truly fantastic songs.

On "Quicksand/Cradlesnakes" you get "Michigan Girls", a real stunner with guitar, cello
swells and careful percussion. Another is "Your Golden Ass", a rattling guitar romp that
has a resemblance to some of Beck's first recordings and Sebadoh's shiniest moments.
Other great songs include "Red", the slow bluesgroove of "When Leon Spinx Moved To Town",
"Horoscopic. Amputation. Honey" and "Vampiring Again", the latter show Califone at their
catchiest and most accessible side, but even in such a sweet song, there's the odd burst
of jangle to splinter the harmonies.

A highly original outfit. Comparisons are pretty futile, but I will be surprised if this
doesn't go down well with fans of Sparklehorse. I think Califone, on occasions, sound
like Sparklehorse combined with the best elements of post-rock(experimental and quirky,
but not too self-indulgent)and a small dose of trip-hop.

"Roots And Crowns" and "Sometimes Good Weather Follows Bad People" are also magnificent albums,
and if you get hooked on Califone, it's easy to hit the order button to get their entire
production. Regardless of your personal economy. Food is important, but great music, espresso
and tobacco will always be the preferred breakfast of champions.

3 1/2

For those who take their alt-country with extra alt, Califone provided a reasonable diversion towards Wilco's increasing monopoly, but the urge to dress and edge up with production clatter can sometimes undermine an otherwise thoughtfully composed work.

Once when I was a sailor, I saw something in the water, something...unusual, mystical...it put me in a trance of sorts. I told the other sailors aboard, "Oy, over here, there's some sort of unusual somethings in the water down here!" They came a running, a skipping, singing, all the things sailors love doing. So we end up getting this thing out of the water, its a stranged shape treasure box with a lock. I find a sledgehammer near by and smash the lock. Slowly I bend down...the sailors anxiously waiting to see what is to be found in this contraption. I open it, gold light comes pouring out, and in this box...Califone's album Quicksand/Cradlesnakes perfectly presereved. I take it out, give it a lookover, amazed at its beauty, and hand it to the captain. He takes his pipe out of his mouth and says the first thing he's said since 7 years back, "Califone...my god, I thought...I thought..." And then he got down on his knees and put his hands up to his face and sobbed for what seemed like an eternity, an eternity of beauty.
20 minutes later we all go into the room where the only cd player is. I take the cd out of the case, place it in the stereo, and put my finger up to the play button...I look back to all the sailors, they are saying to me, "Come on, push play, hurry." So I push it, and what hits my ears is an instant orgasm. We have the cd on replay and listen to it for hours and hours all sitting down just staring blankly.
It is now one year later and I still play this album and it is still as wonderful as it was on the ship one year ago. So please, if you have to steal this thing...do it, if you go to jail for stealing, it was definantly worth it. Enjoy my friends, enjoy...

--- Sweet Cheeba Mantaray AKA Blue Tiger