Swell Maps : Vertical Slum
In June of 1979 the Birmingham art punk band Swell Maps released A Trip to Marineville, their debut album. Founded by brothers Nikki Sudden and Epic Soundtracks, Swell Maps sounds like what happens when teenage boys start a band in the basement after listening to Can and sipping some of mom's hand sanitizer. In other words, I agree with Pitchfork's assessment that it's "weird and wonderful".
The album is not all as musical as the selections posted might suggest. There are arty sound collages that are really just a loud noises and some droning keyboards that might not signify anything at all. It is up to the listener to return again and again to find out what sticks.
"Midget Submarines" is one of the numbers that will certainly stick. This is the kind of post-punk sound that foreshadows Sonic Youth and Pavement.
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