Solex/The 198$$ - split 12"
(Progeria)
New York's Progeria Records is keeping the split 12" format alive with this unlikely
pairing: Solex, from the Netherlands, and the 1985 (here with augmented $$ form).
Solex presents a pop masterpiece, a cover of the Echo and the Bunnymen song "The Cutter."
Catchy as all hell, it lurches along and sounds not unlike something by the Slits or the
Raincoats, though with an updated arrangement for the 90's. The main riff is jerky and
repetitive, but never harsh. Her vocals are soft, playfully driving a melody over the
unique textures of guitar and electronic-influenced percussion.
The 1985's side is labeled "Treasure of the Nervous Nothing," though it actually contains
three songs. The first begins with some rather anthemic powerchording, accented by
some chanting in the background that seems so "straight" the 1985 can only be mocking
it. The verse quickly falls into a sneering vocal with the trademark '85 angular guitars,
although the piece sounds unusually whimsical.
The second song is a more jagged and dark piece that makes me think of original
drummer John Roman's description of the band: "Like AC/DC, only played by robots."
The record is marked by very tight production--unlike the chaotic mess that the previous
1985 records have been (and I mean that in a good way), "Treasure of the Nervous
Nothing" pulls together the band and gives a framework to the guitar riffs. The third
track sounds like a faster version of the second, only much shorter and bouncier,
sputtering to a stop after one verse. Although the record is brief, the two sounds actually
work well together, despite the different styles.
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