Ok, I don't know if we love Sic Alps, but I sure as hell do. For the last few months the San Fran band's singles, EP's and rarities compilation A Long Way To Get Around To A Shortcut has been on high, high rotation on my iTunes. In fact, I love this disc so much that I've actually given 5 of the 26 songs on ALWTGATAS a 4-star rating on iTunes, a huge compliment considering the only other bands to make the list are the Beach Boys, Yo La Tengo, Animal Collective and Joy Division. Granted, Sic Alps aren't for everyone. If you don't like tape recordings, spatial hissing, fumbling psych freakouts, desperation or noize, stay away. If those things sound kind of enticing, continue reading.While unabashed lo-fi-ness is their steez, the duo of Mike Donovan and Matt Hartman is absolutely relentless in their pursuit of the most beautiful, delapadated pop music. To me, Sic Alps are the musical equivalent of a marble statue of a Greek God holding his crotch, on top of a steaming mountain of garbage being towed on a barge to its final resting place, only to be burned by men in Dickie's and steel toed boots. Truth is, there is something down right dirty and "wrong" to the Sic Alps sound, as if everything pop/rock music is supposed to be has been broken, burnt, twisted, swallowed, regurgitated, swallowed again and shat out, only to be filtered through a dictaphone, which, for whatever reason, makes it beautiful. Jangly melodies, raucous freakouts, noize excursions, whorishly pretty pop, and instrumental wonders, it's all here for your enjoyment.
Rumor has it that Sic Alps are playing the Pool Sunday with Deerhunter, Black Lips, King Khan and the Shrines and Tall Firs. Can't confirm, but I'm definitely psyched, since I was out of town when they slayed Death By Audio (and Union Pool).
{Ed Note: Sic Alps ALWATGTAS ends with a tune called "Microcastle", which is also the name of the new album, and a song, by Deerhunter.}
Sic Alps- The News Today
Sic Alps- Untitled/Digital Booklet/Deep Fruit
Sic Alps "A Story Over There"
