Pumice | the submersible dirigible

Just days following the official launch of Stefan Neville’s latest Pumice album, Quo, we receive sad news that his iconic “little silver guitar” was severely maimed while in transit back home to Auckland. Considering this recent news, and that I managed to see Pumice less than one month ago in Brooklyn’s Union Pool, performing what would come to be one of Neville’s last shows of a worldwide tour, silver guitar strumming along wistfully, I now assume there’s some sort of divine favor shining down from the heavens, drenching my cubicle with an aura of good fortune.

With this in mind, I look forward to an afternoon commute free of the pestering need to look both ways before crossing Manhattan’s busy streets. See you tomorrow!

Quo’s excellence is a fitting fitting tribute to the fallen instrument.

(h/t Soft Abuse & ROSE QUARTZ)

Brian Turner broadcast a short eight minute Ignatz live session last week, recorded in the WFMU studios. Tragically, I missed Ignatz playing live just last weekend in NYC. Celebrate Psi’s Ignatz release, I Will Soothe My Eye To Feast It With A Sight of Beauty, is a favorite of mine. Last year’s Quiet as Mice, though I haven’t been able to enjoy is as thoroughly, was certainly a highlight of 2007. Turner’s fellow WFMU dj Fabio (my favorite at the station) even selected the cassette release for his year-end best-of list.

Oddly enough, this FMU performance sounds unlike most of what I’ve heard from Ignatz. Last year’s album, II, released on Kraak, is the best example of the sound Bram Devens developed for Ignatz (stream II & Ignatz @ last.fm). Steven R. Smith and Stefan Neville/Pumice obsessives like myself likely found themselves instantly enamored with the dingy lo-fi Ignatz ditties. This latest recording, completely instrumental, sounds to be a bit of a departure. The long, speculative drone piece sounds more like a Peter Wright recording than what I expect from Ignatz. Devens’ rubbery lo-fi vocals were always a highlight of his work, but are completely absent on this FMU session.

Of course, there’s no better place to experiment and modify your sound than on the road and during radio live sessions. Svarte Greiner, Elegi and Peter Wright are the best comparisons to this live recording I can conjure at the moment. Ambient leanings, and creepy atmospherics could be an exciting addition to Devens formula. I look forward to seeing whether his experimentation here is featured on a future proper release.