REVIEW: Vinyl Devotion, (Demo)
- Bob Gajarsky
The sweet voice of Shalini Chatterjee and a twelve string guitar played by Richard Hardack are the constants throughout "Aren't You Bored California", one of two songs on the demo cassette from San-Francisco based Vinyl Devotion. Chatterjee wrote this track, which seems to claim as influences bands like R.E.M. and the Byrds. The lead vocals smoothly flow throughout; if Kim Deal (Pixies, Breeders) were taking sedatives, this is what she might sound like.
Take a touch of Husker Du, circa 1984. Imagine the in-your-face guitars, without Grant Hart's drums. Add in a more sensitive Bob Mould, circa 1992. This combination gives you an idea of what "Biofeedback", the second song from the demo cassette, sounds like. Hardack's vocals resemble those of Johnny Lydon, and the guitars in this song will test the synchronization of your speakers.
The other Vinyl Devotion material currently available is a 1992 single, "Sorry Isn't Good Enough"/ "Nobody Told Me". The lineup for the band for these two songs included Chatterjee on lead vocals, but includes part of the Loud Family/Game Theory pool of musicians; Gil Ray on drums, Paul Wieneke on piano, and Scott Miller on guitar and handling production chores.
"Sorry" is a beautifully crafted tune, in the musical style of Lush or the Primitives, which will immediately capture the listener's attention. The lyrics tell a different story; "After wheels came motorcycles smeared with blood and scorn / Angels fighting for teenagers hardly worth to mourn / Sorry isn't good enough when there's time to think / in a million different places wallpapered in pink". Nothing fancy musically here, but quite enjoyable nonetheless.
"Nobody Told Me" is a cover of the post-humously released John Lennon song, but with slightly different lyrics. Chatterjee and Miller have modified the words, such as "There's U.F.O.'s over New York, they look just like the Graf". Chatterjee's voice comes up a bit flat on this song, which should not be construed as a criticism of her overall talents. However, the spoken lyrical style required for this song doesn't suit her voice. When actual *singing* is required, however, Ms. Chatterjee more than holds her own. And Chatterjee doesn't just sing; she also plays lead and rhythm guitar, and has played with Kissyfish, Otis Ball and the Chains, and on the current Loud Family Release.
And the group's name? According to Chatterjee, Vinyl Devotion does not refer to the band's love for vinyl, but instead refers to "people fooling themselves that they are obsessed with something".
Good stuff, well worth listening to. And they're even playing in and around the San Francisco area. Interested parties may purchase either the 2-song demo cassette Vinyl Devotion at $3 ppd., or the 45 single "Sorry Isn't Good Enough" at $4 ppd., from:
Mitochondria Records
P.O. Box 411122
San Francisco, CA 94141-1122
