June of 44 – “Southeast of Boston” 7”
Quarterstick, 1999
Acquired: Half Price Books, Used, 2012
Price: $1
A couple years ago, I dove headfirst into Spiderland. Slint was always one of
those bands that resided on a pedestal in my little college rock world, and
that album smashed open a whole new side of my musical palate. Post-rock and
math rock were added to the genres I understood and appreciated when I’d previously
scoffed at their lack of vocals, the angular guitar patterns, and the odd time
signatures (scratch that, I don’t know the first thing about time signatures,
only that odd ones play a part in math rock and I mostly just pretend I know the
difference between 5/4 and 9/16 or whatever). With Slint came a slew of bands
cut from that same angular cloth: Rodan, the For Carnation, Rex, and notably,
June of 44 whose LP Engine Takes to Water
sort of took up the mantle after I’d played Spiderland
to death. I loved the murky complexity of the music. It was a polar
opposite of the indie pop I had been voraciously consuming for the two years
prior. “Southeast of Boston” is culled from the group’s final album Anahata and is a quiet, pensive little
number that stands in stark contrast with the b-side: a propulsive live version
of Four Great Points’ “Dexterity of
Luck.” It’s a nice contrast that illustrates two sides of one of the great
unsung indie bands of the 90s.
"Southeast of Boston"
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