WONDERWHEEL

Thanks to Rosequartz for the tip on Wonder Wheel, a prolific gentleman from California by the name of Paul Rosales. He's released a ton of albums, 20 I believe, making them available for free download from his blog. The most recent "Digital 12"" (what a format) he's upped to the blog is what seems to be his 14th album Comfort Standard, a remaster from July of last year. Comfort Standard's twelve tracks flow in and out of each other effortlessly with heartbeat drum machine stomps, generally jangly guitars, synthesized accompaniments from the outer reaches of space and of course a muddled hissing echo making Rosales' voice nearly unintelligible.


The longest piece on this particular album, "Better Days_Suicide," warbles and hisses hydraulics, like the shift change in Metropolis as soundtracked by a warped tape overdriving out of a warped tape deck. "You Can't Say My Name" achieves some convincingly Smiths-caliber guitar tones, pretty much reminding me a lot of "Headmaster Ritual," but again with that Bradford Cox vocal hiss. Hear for yourself:

Wonder Wheel - Better Days_Suicide
Wonder Wheel - You Can't Say My Name

This video's also been creeping me out, I suppose in a good way: