August 31, 2005

OWEN // "In The Morning, Before Work"

During Owen's, "In The Morning Before Work", the contrast of the song lyric, about New Order and Morrissey, against the sadly-sugared pedal steel crying like the bluest angel you'll ever hear, pushes this song into the category of indie rock boy pining for his lost indie rock girl.

Close your eyes and you can see him perched on bed's edge, the rich grain of his acoustic guitar freckled in a table top lamp by hundreds of illegible fingerprints. No evidence here – although the only evidence necessary is coming from the speakers –painting the walls, the rhythm, the song's last line… "but, this song's for you", a lonely indie blue.
Put down the drop cloth, tape up the baseboards and listen...

+ in the morning, before work

This is Owen's bio on label site, Polyvinyl Records

Owen is Mike Kinsella. For nearly ten years now, Mike has been in some of Chicago’s favorite bands--AMERICAN FOOTBALL, CAP’N JAZZ, JOAN OF ARC, and OWLS. Of those, he has probably been most closely associated with AMERICAN FOOTBALL, in which he did much of the songwriting and guitar-playing, and all of the singing. With Owen, Mike takes American Football’s sound to it’s next logical level. Mike writes, performs, and records all of his own material. However, that doesn't mean he can't rock out live--which he has done with back-up help from Kyle Fischer of Rainer Maria on Kyle's recent tour and opening on the last few Rainer Maria tours.

*Bonus Tracks
Owen
+ places to go
+ The Ghost of What Should've Been
+ She's a Thief
Joan of Arc: + post coitus ROCK (a fave of mine)
Owls: + everyone is my friend
Cap'N Jazz: + little league
American Football + honestly

*Owen can be found on emusic.com

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:35:00 AM

    "...crying like the bluest angel you'll ever hear..."?

    Take it easy over there.

    Hyperbole like that makes sites like this, and most music rags, really tough to read.

    R.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Don't know about this Owen character, but Cap'n Jazz fucking ruled.

    ReplyDelete
  3. True on the hyperbole, but I'm glad to see some love for a Kinsella. Emo has gotten so battered by the cool kids in recent years that great (if inconsistent) bands like Cap'n Jazz and admirable post-emo efforts like Joan of Arc haven't been getting the respect they probably deserve. Rooting for these guys may not be hip, but I'm still expecting good things from them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous3:38:00 PM

    Also, "post coitus"'s full title is post-coitus rock, I think.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes, it is Post Coitus Rock. thanks.

    ReplyDelete