End of A Little Era
I've always felt lucky to have been a dirty little towny while Champaign/Urbana was birthing its own sound in the early-mid 90's. Inextricably linked to other sounds and scenes of the time, it still had a bit of flavor all its own. At its best it delivered smart walls of dense guitar and propulsive drumming that could soar and grind at the same time. Garber and co. came along later (after 11th Dream Day, The Poster Children, Grout Villa, Honcho Overload, Hum, LoveCup etc.) but they took up those ingredients and made their own dish. The surging melodic guitars are grounded by math rock rhythms that are complimentary instead of arbitrary. This record came out as the scene was pretty much done but it makes a great capstone. If you like this then you should definitely check out National Skyline and C-Clamp. Good stuff.
