**EDIT*******************
WFMU's Fatty Jubbo pointed out that I had mixed up the 7" sides -- oof. My bad. The track I so aggressively canned, the Duotron track, was actually the track I liked most, which I mistakenly credited to Zeena Parkins. Zeena Parkins, apparently, was responsible for the track that I had such a big "Uh oh!" response to. Similarly, the track I loved, which I thought was the comp's opener, was actually the Jackwacker track. Regardless of whose track is whose, definitely still check out this recording -- it's fun, interesting, and incredibly weird. I learned two lessons. The first is that I should double check my listening when I don't know the majority of bands/artists involved (and also definitely not be so quick to assume the stand out tracks are by the "big(ger) name" artists). The second lesson is just, damn - WFMU folks know their stuff! Always pretty amazing to be totally schooled (very nicely, though), and in the process, learn about a really great band. Seriously check out the link to Duotron mp3s Fatty Jubbo posted in the comment section. Oh, and a third lesson - definitely do NOT make a lame joke about a song called "Dum Dum" when you're talking about the wrong song. So, without further ado, here's my original write up, making me look like a big, ol' Dum Dum.
"60 Second Compilation" just about says it. The 7", put out by Coat-Tail Records in 1995, is exactly what the title directly states -- a compilation with 60 second tracks by each artist. That uniformity of track length, though, is where this album's continuity seems to end. Seriously, the only thing sonically all these tracks have in common are the fact that they are physically imprinted onto the same album.
This heterogeneous mix has a couple truly spectacular stand-out tracks...and a few that made me want to stopper up my ears. Below are both sides of the comp, including each track. I'm including all of them because, hey, one lady's trash is another person's treasure, am I right? So who knows, the sickeningly slinky and jazzy cabaret-esque track by Duotron that makes me cringe for all of its brief 60 seconds might be your treasure (the track, though is fittingly called "I feel dum"...just saying).
But wait! I'm not just here to point out the one (okay, one of two or three) lame track! This comp is, despite (or perhaps because of) its frankly bizarre-o selection of tunes and artists, a pretty incredible listen. What's more, it's just....fun. Which I know might not seem like a particularly high bar to hold a release to, but one that sticks to its gimmicky 60-second track length rule, and also has artists ranging from Elliott Sharp to the Flying Luttenbachers to Zeena Parkins to Chris Cochrane to....well, really each of the tracks featured is completely different from all the rest. 60 Second Compilations is a strong albeit uneven listen because of the incredible variety of sounds and textures featured on it.
Side A starts off with Chris Cochrane's "Piss On My Food." It is dissonant, dystopian, and cacophonous, and I fully expect to hear this track again when the apocalypse is finally upon us. There's a nice track by Don Cabellero, followed by the aforementioned Duotron mess. Then comes the fast-paced, anxiety-inducing Flying Luttenbachers' track. It is called "Deception," it reminds me of Esplendor Geometrico, and it rules (but also might induce some serious anxiety if listened to on repeat). Side A wraps up with the heavy, thumping Gneissmaker piece, "Fanfare."
Jackwacker's "This Is My Home" starts off the B-side. It's good, weird, rhythmic rock and roll. L-R Duo's track is a slower, more thoughtful "rock" track, and it's a relatively peaceful track. This brief peace is pretty nice, coming before the Zeena Parkins track, "Sleazy." Which is absolutely amazing. As one would expect, from Zeena Parkins. It's by far the most energetic track on the comp, and ties for my favorite along with the first Chris Cochrane track. Listening to "Sleazy," you just want to get up and stomp your clunky boots and scrunch up your face while screaming, just like Zeena does -- amidst the din and vocal howling, "Sleazy" make for the ultimate brat anthem.
Next up is a really great Elliott Sharp track, "Roil." It builds beautifully, ending abruptly with an incredibly tense electronic shriek -- really nice. Finally, the comp ends pretty appropriately, with a fun, rhythmic track, courtesy of White, called Deer Chunk Carcass." The last three tracks of 60 Second Compilation definitely provide the strongest period of the album, and you're left feeling satisfied with the album, despite it clocking in at a brief 10 minutes.
you have the sides mixed up. The Duotron track isn't the sickly-slinky-jazz-cabaret but the awesome no-wave-absurdist-destructo track where she says 'dum dum'.
Posted by: Fatty Jubbo | March 10, 2012 at 04:02 AM
Oh no! I feel so...dum! I'll check the record later to confirm, and will edit the post accordingly -- thanks very much for pointing this out!
Posted by: Narine Atamian | March 10, 2012 at 01:22 PM
The label on the record might be wrong.
But since you mistakenly shot down Duotron so fervently, I must point you to their entire discography:
http://www.baltazarworks.com/mp3s_duotron.htm
they were really brilliant- tangled detuned guitar and odd drumming battling it out. Their music to me was like Edith and Archie hollering at each other. It's a more performative approach current 'drum+other instrument' duos don't touch.
Posted by: Fatty Jubbo | March 10, 2012 at 03:55 PM
Listening to those links -- you're totally right, sides were mislabeled. The track that actually IS Duotron's is absolutely awesome. Again thanks for catching this (and for turning me on to a great band I immediately dismissed)!
Posted by: Narine Atamian | March 11, 2012 at 05:09 PM
Damn, you reminded me of a project I hoped had gone further, back on mp3.com in 1999 or so. It was 80x80x80, where each of us were to submit a track eighty seconds long at 80 bpm (which we generally doubled to 160,) but the guy running it wasn't able to get 80 entries ...
Posted by: just john | March 11, 2012 at 05:09 PM
oh yea, I'm also not a *reader*. Look on the left column.
Posted by: Fatty Jubbo | March 11, 2012 at 10:33 PM
Here is a random jan12 blog post from a guy in Bloomington about Jackwacker:
http://remoteoutposts.blogspot.com/2012/01/jackwacker-things-from-inside-your-body.html
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