Juana Molina "Yo No"

Yesterday afternoon "Yo No" (mp3) made sense for the first time after three listens. In the form of enveloping water from four black mechanical arms that cast forth visions of thousands of nebulous shapes, filling my vision-field with their shifting descent. The contrast between the robotic and natural was pleasing and jarring because I am surrounded by metal and plastic with a dim view of hazy light. Washes of milky color give way to speckled clarity, and the soothing hum of electricity intertwines with the hissing water and unplaceable clang-clang to disallow any distraction. If it is not clear by now that I engaged with this wonderful thing while in a carwash on a good deal of surprisingly potent cold medicine, now it is clear, and so is my windshield. The chopped and looped guitar figure that opens the song you are listening to, and the diced vocals/noises that soon poke at your ears are the lens flare of an Argentinian sunrise refracted through a kaleidoscope and projected onto a multi-hued, carefully sewn blanket like the jewels bedecking Juana Molina's album art. And now I'm being blow-dried.

Son comes out on Domino on 5/23. See things here.

Elsewhere: Please go watch Editor B's update on NO, 8 months post-Katrina.

And then go to the place that finishes second (to the above) in the "teach marathonpacks stuff he wouldn't otherwise know" contest---Chemistry Class (the pleats, if music blogs were pants) who (shhh) are now doing mp3 niceness. Thus, with typical aplomb, we get Derek Bailey and forgotten 80s NE band Big Dipper. Tell them thank-you.