new: Andrew Cedermark/ Family Portrait Split

"Hard Livin'"

News about the "in the works for a while" split between Andrew Cedermark and Family Portrait broke today and the disc is currently available for pre-sale. Like the 3-D imagery suggests, there is a certain duality to the release; the "down-and-out but will rise again nature" of Cedermark's work, and the chilling in the ether vibe Family Portrait owns. The obvious talk will be of "Mega Secrets" and "Hard Livin,'" two standouts from the Underwater Peoples Summer Showcase comp. But, for me, the real nugget here is "Super Cool," a kaleidoscopic travel diary of an instrumental, as easily indigestible as the drug for which its named, and as digestible as a PB&J with the crust cut off. The glue? Mr. Julian Lynch, whose clarinet is like a snake charmer wrapping your mind around some really interstellar shit, and making it seem, well, totally normal. And such is the wonder of "Super Cool," an instrumental oddball as capable of soundtracking a backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, as it is a Sunday morning, reading the paper with Mom and Dad on the porch.

Listen to the studio version here. Live version above.