Italian record label Robotradio records release this split along with their animated, comic book style cover and “digi†pack. With their aim to release a series of unscheduled splits featuring one Italian band and one foreign band, they align Italian post punks Red Worms’ Farm from Padova with American rockers The Paper Chase from Dallas. The idea to make the CD as different as possible, so as well as having a 4:3 split of tracks by the bands, there is a re-mix version of a track each by the band and 2 music videos. It’s a bizarre situation as the press release is a mix match of spelling mistakes, typing errors and is extremely misleading. I’ll try and let the music iron things out….
Although all the songs are in a messed up order, I will comment on each band individually. Firstly the Italians, Red Worms’ Farm, allegedly with a huge following back home and in parts of Europe their 4 tracks are refreshing and pleasant. Calm and clean that has more of an indie feel than “post punk.†There’s some wonderful guitar tones that are fairly edgy, but the whole thing is basic. Simple but positive. Lead track “Jelly Bean†is similar to The Strokes, well layered with a cleverly worked vocal line.
The Paper Chase don’t really impress me at all. Their music appears to be a mess of sound, people playing different tunes, in different times and using different rhythms. It’s mixed strangely and is all covered by a vocalist who snaps bizarre lyrics. I can’t really imagine this interesting a huge audience. Fair enough it’s original, but is on the border of breaching the music/nonsense line. Imagine your mum shouting nonsense at you, while rattling pots and pans about in a cupboard, with a radio crackling between two stations in the background. Bingo.
I’ve no idea what this labels distribution is like, or why a compilation between an Italian indie band, and a confused American band got sent to a UK webzine, but if anyone gets a copy of this CD, please let us know what you think, because I’m slightly baffled.
Pete