Franciscan Hobbies - Walls Are Stuck (Music Fellowship, 2005)
Trying to keep up with the Jeweled Antler collective can be frustrating, with so many projects and offshoots. The Franciscan Hobbies, on this full-length "proper" CD, comprise about ten different people according to the liner notes, with Glenn Donaldson and Loren Chasse being two of the names listed (and names recognizeable from other Jeweled Antler projects).
I don't know exactly who is in the Franciscan Hobbies, or how they differ from Thuja, the Blithe Sons, or the Ivytree, but this is as good of a starting point as any to the Jeweled Antler family. Like most of their projects, there is a rough feel to the music - but that is the focus rather than a detriment. A hazy acoustic ambience fills the CD, with some tracks built around scratchy tape machines and other, longer pieces that show good group interaction.
There's a gentleness to the music but it doesn't descend into new age stiffness; perhaps this is because of the above-mentioned rough edges. When there's vocals, they're subdued, more part of the atmosphere than part of a traditional song structure. The disc's 40-some minutes pass quickly, assimilating into the back of your mind like the best ambient records, though providing layers for deeper listening. This is a very good release and it's great to know there's already a deep catalog to delve into.
Note: Two of the three people who run the Music Fellowship also write for fakejazz.
