The Aum Rifle’s association with Shrimper Records’ shouldn’t make their simple recording techniques a surprise. Released in 2004, about a decade after Shrimper made itself the benchmark for cassette-only D.I.Y. ethics, the trio of Alex and Cari Ganowsky and John Thill released the 14-song Peal of Bells. The album opens with the lo-fi acoustic “Wilt,” a whimsical song that ends with a shattering sound of bottles. Followed by the folksy, banjo-led “Joseph Tyler,” the band blends the familiar with the startling in a seamless, refreshing way. Homemade instruments also keep listeners guessing. – Stephen Cramer
